The Fall of Chaos
by Ying-Fa-dono
Summary: Sequel to Agents of Chaos. Jareth and Sarah are now waging war against Chaos and his Agents. With a squad of loyal friends and new powers, they feel like nothing can stop them. But Chaos has a plan up his sleeve that may separate the lovers for eternity.
1. The Dark Woods

**Ying-Fa: Here it is, as promised. Number 2 in the promised three-part story of the Agents of Chaos. Now, this may not make sense if you haven't read the first installment, The Agents of Chaos so, if you are only just joining us, you might want to go to my home page and read it. Thank you everyone and I really hope you all like it.**

The darkness of the forest was so deep and thick it could almost be felt. Endlessly, the sinister-looking, twisted trees spread out so that walking was difficult. The trunks of the trees were a dark hunter green and the branches spread outward in each direction crookedly, like broken fingers. Each branch was covered in purple leaves that were so numerous and thick that it almost completely blocked out the sky overhead. One step into this forest during the day and the world would suddenly become dark as night. If one entered its depth's at night then they would be utterly blind for not even the moon and stars could be seen there. More still, a whispering that was not quite wind hissed through the leaves of these trees, making sounds that might have been words but they could not be understood by mortal ears.

This knowledge, however, did not stop the two companions as they marched together into dark woods. They were both hooded and cloaked and stood side-by-side, their hands interlinked. The taller of these wanderers wore a black cloak that shimmered strangely, even when there was no light in the woods to reflect it. In his black-gloved hand, he held a handful of blue and white flames that served as his light. His companion, who wore and emerald cloak, stayed close to his side as they marched deeper into the bleak forest. For some time they marched in silence, the blue firelight glistening off the dark green trunks of the trees, but even if they touched, the wood did not burn. Finally, the emerald-cloaked figure broke the silence.

"We've been walking for hours. This forest is immense. Are you sure you're going the right way?"

The figure in black laughed. "Do you not believe in me, my dear? I have been through these woods several times and I know them well. Besides, I would think that you would have more faith in a man who has lived a great long time in a maze when it comes to directions."

The second figure laughed a little then, the reached up and lowered her hood. A curtain of long black hair fell to her shoulders and her bright green eyes glanced around. "You know I believe in you, Jareth," she said. "I guess I'm just nervous. This place gives me the creeps."

"The Dark Wood strikes fear into the hearts of all who enter it," said Jareth, turning to look at her. "It has always been that way. It does not help that it is also the lair of an Agent of Chaos. But, please, keep your hood on for now, Sarah."

"But my head is hot," Sarah complained.

"Still," Jareth insisted. "It would be wise to keep it on. The less Kieran knows about us, the better. The trees here give him insight, and they will surely convey our whereabouts if we give them the chance."

"The trees talk to him?" Sarah asked, reluctantly replacing her hood.

"Yes," said Jareth. "He is a treeling."

"What's that?"

"I suppose you could call it a kind of tree spirit," Jareth explained. "He is creature of nature who is one with all life and a guardian of the wild. He can hear the voices of nature and call upon them to do his bidding. This whole forest is his domain. He watches over it and protects it, therefore everything here, down to the last twig, will betray us if they have reason to."

"Really?" said Sarah, sounding astounded. "I thought all the Agents of Chaos were Fae, like you."

Jareth shook his head. "Fae are not the only creatures of intelligence in the Underground, Sarah. Unlike your world, where only humans possess knowledge of good and evil, many creatures think and feel and judge. Treelings are rare, however. They are fading away, so to have one among the Agents is a good move for Chaos. They are very influential and powerful."

"So, how do you know that Kieran will listen to us?" Sarah asked. "Do you really think he'll break away from Chaos if you talk him into it?"

Jareth didn't answer right away. He tightened his hold on Sarah's hand and pulled her through a particularly tight-nit group of trees. Just when Sarah thought he wasn't going to answer did he speak again. "I can't say for sure. Kieran has a deep hatred for the Aboveground, but he is the youngest and newest of the Agents of Chaos. I believe that, of any of the Agents, he might be the one we can convince into aiding our cause."

"But what if he doesn't?" Sarah asked.

Jareth turned to her and smiled, the light from the blue flames in his hands were casting an eerie glow on his aristocratic face making him look ever more sinister. "We will have to run for our lives."

Sarah gulped and pulled her hood back on with trembling fingers.

Onward they went into the forest, ever searching in the dark for the lair of the Agent they sought. Everything seemed to be getting progressively darker and the noises more frightening. Every rustle of a leaf sounded like the hiss of a venomous serpent, every snap of a twig under their feet put them in mind of bones breaking, and even the sound of their own breathing was disturbing. It was as though every breath they took could very well be their last.

Jareth stopped after awhile, holding his handful of flames up high so as to cast more light around them.

"What is it?" Sarah asked, trying to see what had made him stop.

But Jareth merely cursed under his breath. "No," he breathed. "I knew it. We are too late. He already knows we are here."

Before Sarah could ask what he meant, the sound of fast, gigantic footsteps hurried in their direction. The ground trembled beneath their feet and the two companions fought to keep their balance. Jareth fell back into a tree and his handful of flames died out. The wicked trees around started to bend and twist, clearing a path for whatever it was that was coming for them.

"Sarah!" Jareth called, groping in the darkness for her.

"Over here," Sarah cried out.

Jareth followed her voice and found her with his hands. "This was a mistake," Jareth yelled over the noise of the footfalls. "He's sent the monsters here after us. We must . . ."

But Jareth never finished. A huge, black something pushed its way through the trees to where the disorientated companions knelt. The massive silhouette of their attacker rushed forward and even in the darkness of the forest its horrible features could be seen. Covered head to foot in thick dark hair, it lowered its horned head menacingly and snarled through a pair of large wet nostrils through which a massive ring ran through.

The Minotaur glared down upon Jareth and Sarah, ready for the kill.

"RUN!" Jareth yelled.

The pair split in separate directions just as the Minotaur's ax swung down where they had been a second ago. It roared in anger when it realized it had missed then wrenched its ax out of the ground to prepare for a new attack. Jareth moved swiftly behind it, juggling several crystals as he did. He threw two of them at the monster's back and as they struck it, they grew into a pair of large, thick serpents. The snakes coiled around the torso of the Minotaur and sank their long fangs into its hairy sides.

The Minotaur roared and threw itself into a tree in an attempt to throw the snakes off of him, but they held firm. The monster roared and tried to stand up straight, but then it saw Sarah who had been trying to hide behind a large tree. Suddenly oblivious to the serpents, the Minotaur snarled and charged at her, lowering its horns like the bull it imitated.

Sarah saw it coming and tried to get away, but she hadn't anticipated it to be so swift. The horns of the Minotaur slammed into the tree right where Sarah had been three seconds before, but Sarah hadn't managed to escape completely. One horn had caught her green cloak, pinning her in place. Sarah tugged desperately at her cape, trying to free it. When it didn't work, she reached for the fastening around her neck to take it off, but her fingers were trembling too much and she was too slow. The enormous hand of the Minotaur reached out and snatched Sarah around the middle dragging her to him. His horns were dug so deeply into the tree; he couldn't move his head so he tried to pull the girl toward his large, gaping mouth.

"No!" Sarah yelled. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a long knife and stabbed it into the Minotaur's hand. It didn't even flinch. She stabbed it again, it didn't react. Sarah was getting much to close to the Minotaur's horrible head. She could smell its putrid breath; see its rotten teeth and its wide, hungry eyes . . .

That's it!

Sarah sent up a silent prayer to anyone who might be listening and threw her knife and it struck the Minotaur right in its eye. Now it felt pain, now it released her to try and gouge the knife out of its eye, which was now leaking out a fountain of blood.

This distraction was just what Jareth needed. He conjured crystal after crystal and started weaving them together to form a very long, thick chain. The chain then wrapped itself around the neck of the monster. The Minotaur could no longer roar as the chain tightened and tightened, just as the serpents around its middle were doing. The combined pressure of the chain and the snakes was almost too much for it. It couldn't free itself from the tree, it couldn't kill the snakes, it couldn't remove the knife from its eye, it couldn't stop the suffocating chain, and everything was working against it. The Minotaur began to twitch violently as the chain grew tighter and tighter and tighter and . . .

Crack!

With the sound like a branch snapping of a tree, the Minotaur stopped twitching. It slumped to the ground, its remaining eye staring blankly into nothingness. The monster was dead.

Jareth approached the creature and stared at it carefully. He wasn't about to let it convince him that it was dead then come jumping right back. But there was no need for such caution. Sighing a breath of relief, Jareth turned his attention to Sarah.

"Sarah! Are you alright?"

"Yes," Sarah replied, rubbing her ribs where the Minotaur had grabbed her. "I'm alright. Geez," she murmured, looking at the dead monster. "That could have ended poorly."

"Indeed," said Jareth, looking around. "Well, we are not out of trouble yet, my dear. If Kieran didn't know we were in this forest before, he does now. The racket caused by this beast had to have attracted every living thing within a hundred feet."

"What should we do?" Sarah asked.

"It is no longer wise to be here," said Jareth. "This will not be the first creature that Kieran will send after us. We have to leave while we can."

"The chance for that has come and gone, trespassers!" sneered a high pitched voice from behind them.

Sarah and Jareth twisted around. Fifty some creatures had appeared out of nowhere. They were all malformed and seemed to be made of wood, each one sporting a bow and arrow which was aimed down at the two of them. Jareth cursed.

"Wierdlings," he hissed. "They are Kieran's personal guard."

"And thou art Jareth the Fallen!" shrieked the high-voiced wierdling. "Your Grace!" he called, turning his head yet keeping his eyes on Jareth. "They are here!"

A new figure stepped out of the shadows of the trees, facing the couple. He was very beautiful. His thin face and slanted eyes were worn with elegance that mankind couldn't fathom, but they were almost lost amidst a horde of unusual details. His hair was very long and the color of spring leaves with a circlet of amethysts around his forehead. His ears were long and sharply pointed and his eyebrows were arched like an eagle's, giving him a permanently fierce look. He wore a robe like an African American's, long and weaved with strange pictures stitched into it. Most startling of all where his hands, which were not at all like the rest of his body. They were flat and twisted like the tree branches of the forest around them, the twigs making up his fingers looked dangerously sharp.

"Jareth," said the creature, his sharp eyes narrowing in contempt.

Jareth smiled confidently and bowed just low enough so that he could keep his eyes on the newcomer.

"Kieran," he said, nodding in acknowledgement. "The Master of the Black Woods and the esteemed Agent of Chaos."

**Ying-Fa: Thank you for reading chapter one and I hope you all have an enjoyable summer at ! (sheesh, I sound like an advertisement ...)**


	2. The Message and Request

**Ying-Fa: Here's the next chapter guys!**

Kieran took his eyes of Jareth and moved over to where the dead Minotaur lay. He stretched out his wooden hand and laid it gently over the monster's hairy body. "Samayou," he said softly. "Die in peace. Your remains shall feed the Black Woods and become a part of it forever."

As he said this, two of the large trees lifted up on their roots and crawled toward the Minotaur. The roots then wrapped themselves around the Minotaur and dragged it downward. The soil of the forest sank into itself like quicksand and began to swallow the dead creature. Within minutes, it was completely gone and the trees shivered as if pleased with the meal. Sarah let out a gasp of fear and disgust.

"You should not have come here, Jareth," said Kieran, turning back to them at last. "You are an enemy of our master. We have since received orders to murder you on sight."

"I thought that may be the case," said Jareth, calmly. "Yet, your minions have yet to attack us. Does this mean you don't wish to see me dead? Do you wish to stand against Chaos as well?"

"Never!" Kieran snapped, pointing a sharp wooden finger at Jareth threateningly. "You make no sense, Jareth. Chaos has given you everything you desired and this is how your repay him? You rebel against him, you ally yourself with the filth of the Aboveground, you murder Quintus …!"

"All that I did it was necessary to do," Jareth replied. "Surely you see it, Kieran. Chaos is only using you as he is using all of us. I escaped from him because I had to. He felt my loyalty slipping away, so he punished me."

"You allowed yourself to waver because of your infatuation with an Abovegrounder. I suppose that's her, isn't it?" Kieran asked, throwing Sarah a poisonous look.

"It is indeed," said Jareth, gesturing in Sarah's direction. "This is Sarah."

"N-nice . . . to meet you," Sarah lied, her voice shaking.

"I cannot say the same," said Kieran, glaring viciously. "You take this Aboveground scum as your concubine and bring her here to show her off. You terrible fool! I am beginning to believe that madness really has taken over your mind."

"I know you dislike the Aboveground, Kieran," said Jareth, still very calm. "But that is no reason …"

"It goes further than dislike!" Kieran roared. "Have you not seen what they have done to their world? Burning, hacking, ripping, stamping, and killing everything in their path like a pack of ravenous wolves and for what? To build parking lots and shopping centers and gas stations all manner of creations to satisfy their greed and lust."

"Not all of us are like that," Sarah said, defensively. "Some people care about the world."

"And what is done about it?" Kieran asked, furiously. "Nothing! You and your kind have not an ounce of my respect and never shall. You can't judge us all like that!"

"We did not come here to listen to you complain about the unjust acts of the Aboveground," Jareth interrupted. "I came here because I assumed that you would listen to what I have to say."

"And what do you have to say?" asked Kieran. "What excuse could you possibly have for your actions?"

"I wouldn't call it an excuse," said Jareth, lightly. "I turned against Chaos because I had to. He was losing my loyalty and so he punished me. When I managed to return from my punishment, I came back desiring vengeance that is all."

"You wouldn't have been punished if you hadn't let your faith waver," said Kieran. "What happened to you was your own doing."

"All I did was put another before him," Jareth explained. "Do you not see the flaw in that? Why are we not allowed to feel anything for another? He is keeping you like a dog, Kieran, chained up and trapped in this prison that he calls your kingdom. He sates your appetite with power and you obey him blindly in return. I merely sought to rid myself of Chaos's leash. Can I be blamed?"

"You bit the hand that fed you," said Kieran, shaking his head. "Chaos granted you power and you threw it back in his face."

"If being grateful means becoming a slave to a master with suspicious intentions than I don't need what the hand is offering," Jareth snapped. "Not anymore at least."

Kieran shook his head once more. "I hoped that if I just spoke to you then I would understand you better. You were a good Agent, faithful and powerful, but now you have fallen away and I feel sympathy for you."

"And I you, Kieran," said Jareth.

"If I can't get you to see reason, then we have nothing further to discuss," said Kieran. He turned and looked at the army of wierdlings behind him. "Kill them."

Faster than blinking the forest was suddenly filled with flying arrows, zipping by ready to pierce whatever was in their way. Jareth, however, had been prepared for this. He dropped a crystal at his feet where it splintered into five huge metal shields and surrounded him and Sarah. The arrows bounced off the metal harmlessly, keeping the two inside safe.

"This isn't the end, Kieran," Jareth yelled from behind the shields. "Chaos will have your soul for eternity! If you are ever to obtain freedom then you must open your eyes and look past his flattery, his trickery, and see for yourself! I am not giving up on you or the rest of the Agents. You can come with me and save yourself always."

With that, he took hold of Sarah's shoulders and vanished along with the shields, leaving only a flash of glitter behind. The wierdlings shrieked and began scurrying about, looking for them.

"Be still," ordered Kieran. "He has left the forest. He will not come again." Kieran eyed the place where Jareth disappeared. "That fool truly has left us forever, and all for that human woman." Kieran turned around and began heading for his home, the wierdlings following him. "If Chaos ever gets a hold on either of them, they have my pity."

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"So it was a complete waste o' time! Just like I said it would be! There ain't no talking the Agents o' Chaos."

"Shows how much you know, Higgleton. Kieran heard my message and that was my goal. I never expected him to listen and join our cause on the first try. That would be miraculous. He knows my means now; that is all I wanted to happen."

Jareth was pacing his throne room in the Castle Beyond the Goblin City accompanied by his fellow rebels. Since they had returned to the Underground, the entire Labyrinth had been moved hidden deeply by Jareth's magic. It was buried deep in the earth, where the goblins could make all the ruckus they wanted and not attract the attention of Chaos or the Agents. Chaos had lost control of the Labyrinth when Quintus died and so he couldn't use his own power to control it anymore. In the room with Jareth were Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus, and several other goblin generals.

"Your Majesty, Kieran will surely report your appearance to Chaos at once," said Sir Didymus. "Will that not blow our cover?"

"Chaos already knows we have returned to the Underground," Jareth said, waving his hand. "It matters not if Kieran tells him. Chaos will have been alerted to my presence the moment I set foot on Underground soil. He has many servants, not just Agents, who report to him. However, since the Labyrinth was created by me and governed by me for so long, I can hide it from him without fear of discovery. He no longer owns my soul; therefore he can't keep tabs on me when he wants to."

"We still ain't outta the water yet," grumbled Hoggle. "Were ya plannin' on tellin' all the Agent's about turnin' against Chaos?"

"Of course not," said Jareth. "My plan was to invite Kieran. He is the one I thought was most likely to help us. Now that that hasn't worked, it is time to move on to more . . . forward ideals."

"Like?" Hoggle asked, suspiciously.

"Killing the rest of the Agents," Jareth replied, lightly.

"Whoa," Ludo growled, his ears lifting up in surprise. "Hmmm."

"You make it sound like it's gonna be so easy!" Hoggle grumbled.

"I don't mean to," said Jareth with a shrug. "Without the Agents, Chaos will be left to fend for himself. If we can weaken his power, he might be easier to defeat. He relies on the Agents for something. To this day I don't know what it could be, but it must be something highly important." Jareth crossed the room and sat down in his throne, his mouth resting on his interlocked fingers. "If only I knew. I always wondered why he chose us to be Agents. Many have tried to win his favor, but he never allowed it. So, why us?"

"Chaos be a big toady!" cried one of the goblins. "He sends goblins nasty Quintus after Your Majesty go bye-bye. Agents all be big moody-guts and we's see Your Majesty make 'em go boom!"

The other goblins cackled loudly at this statement.

"You are too kind," Jareth replied with a smile. Then his eyes fell on another corner of the room. Sarah was sitting up against the window, her arms folded across her chest and looking thoughtfully out of the Labyrinth.

Jareth rose while the creatures were talking amongst themselves and walked over to her. He looked out the window as well. Even thought they were underground, there was still plenty of light. The first few weeks after they'd been moved down here, Jareth had had several creatures (including a grumpy, grumbling Hoggle) go out and gather liberal amounts of shimmergans. They were like fairies, human-shaped and winged, but they had no physical characteristics and their entire bodies gave of a vast light when they were awake and alert. The simmergans were what lit up the Labyrinth in its dark hiding place. They also had an internal clock so, even in the darkest of places; they knew when it was night or day. When a shimmergan slept, its light went out and so, when it was time for bed, the Labyrinth would be cast into darkness.

"Is something troubling you, Sarah?" Jareth asked, approaching her.

"Kind of," Sarah replied distantly. "I wasn't much of a help to you today. I'm sorry."

"What are you talking about?" Jareth asked, raising an eyebrow. "You were the one who stabbed the Minotaur's eye. You were very helpful."

"Maybe," Sarah said, heavily. "But it might not be good enough next time. What if I get stuck and I don't have a weapon or somebody around to help me? What am I going to do then?"

"With luck you won't be in that situation," said Jareth firmly. He never liked thinking about Sarah in danger. Not only was she his lover but she was also one of the only people the goblins would listen to. If anything happened to him, he would be counting on Sarah to keep the goblins and other Labyrinth creatures safe.

"But what if we aren't that lucky?" Sarah said, turning to face him. "He knows about me and what our relationship is. If I can't defend myself against him then how am I supposed to help you get rid of him? I came down here because I wanted to help you and today I realized just what little use to you I am. If I was just a little more powerful . . ."

"You don't need power," said Jareth. "You are wise and great, Sarah, and the creatures here admire and respect you. You are plenty of help to me. The past three weeks since we came down here is proof of that. And what kind of power do you need? We have the Goblin Army at our disposal, tenacious though they may be, and we have Agaea and Carl in the Aboveground aiding us."

When Sarah still looked troubled, Jareth raised an eyebrow and gave her a sly smile. "You want to ask me something but you aren't sure how I will react," he said knowingly. "Just say what is on your mind, my Sarah, and get it out of the way."

Sarah cast him a sideways look and then cleared her throat. "Well okay," she said. "Here goes. Jareth . . . could you teach me how to use magic?"

Jareth blinked in surprise.

"It's something I've been thinking about since I got here," Sarah explained, talking a little too fast. "If it's impossible for a human to learn it, then that's fine. But I just _have_ to learn to take care of myself. I can't just keep sitting by and waiting for you to help me all the time. I'm no use if you have to keep rescuing me. I want to be able to rescue myself and, maybe one of these days, you."

Jareth continued to stare at her, stunned. Then his eyes softened and he grinned at her. "Somehow I expected this," he said, slyly. Then he sighed. "Well, it isn't impossible for a human to learn how to use magic Sarah. Magic exists in the very air here in the Underground, much more potent and free than in your home world. But it is extraordinarily difficult."

"But I _can_ learn how?" Sarah asked, eagerly.

"Yes."

"Will you teach me?"

"Certainly."

Sarah cried out and threw her arms around his neck, kissing him in thanks. "Thank you for this," she said once she broke away. "I just want to help you. I can't bear the thought of being worthless to you."

"You are anything but worthless," said Jareth, softly. "Having you here is all the motivation I need to stand up against Chaos. But I am going to give you fair warning, my dear," Jareth added, looking suddenly very much like the villainous Goblin King he had been when they first met. "As a king, I am just. As a lover, I excel. But, when it comes to teaching magic, I can be a very unforgiving teacher."

"I can handle it," said Sarah, waving her hand like it was nothing.

**Ying-Fa: That's chapter 2 everyone! Please, please, please PUR-LEASE review for me! It's just not as motivating when I don't get them. Thank you, those who have reviewed, and I bid that you continue. It really does help and it lets me know when I'm doing things wrong. Thank you kindly!**


	3. The Unexpected Trial

**Ying-Fa: Yay! So many reviews! I'm so happy! Pretty please continue to read and review! I love you all!**

"And again."

Sarah reached up and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand before shooting Jareth a nasty look. She'd been at this for ages and she wasn't making any process. She swallowed a few more nasty remarks that suddenly occurred to her and faced the goblet again. She glared down at the wine inside and tried to focus on it, to get the magic within her to manifest itself . . .

But nothing happened.

"Try again," Jareth repeated, barely glancing up from his seat a few yards away.

Sarah groaned. "You make it look so easy when you do it," she muttered.

"That's because I was born in a world where magic exists in the very air," Jareth said, calmly. "My first breath was of the air of the Underground and as such magic has been in my blood ever since. It's the same with all creatures born here. Magic is easier for us because we are born to it."

"But you said I could do it even though I'm from the Aboveground," Sarah reminded him.

"You can," Jareth replied. "Magic has been depleted greatly in the Aboveground, but it isn't extinct. All humans are born with the potential to use magic just like we are but the difference is that here we practice and enrich the potential in us from birth where your world suppresses it, seeing it as unnatural. You have the potential still alive within you, Sarah, but it's dug in like a tick. You have to work for it and it will come to you."

Sarah sighed and returned her attention to the glass of wine in front of her. "It's harder than you're making it sound," she said heavily. "And isn't the trick supposed to be turning water into wine and not the other way around?"

"Turning water into wine is any easy feat," said Jareth, waving his hand impatiently. "Anybody can take pure water and change it into some other liquid, but getting it to resume its original purity, now that is a challenge."

"Oh," said Sarah, nodding. "So I can't do it because you give me the hard things."

"No," Jareth replied. "I gave you the harder task because there is no time for petty tricks. The older you get, the more your potential decreases. We need to waken it now and the challenging tricks are what will turn it into a second nature practice. Turning water into wine is a trick for children and drunkards."

"Fine," Sarah groaned. She turned her attention to the wine glass again. She tried to empty her mind and focus inside as Jareth had instructed her. She held out her hands over the cup and tried to force the potential in her to manifest itself. There was a sudden, faint tingling in the small of her back and at the ends of her fingers. Sarah opened her eyes, certain it had worked . . .

. . . but nothing happened.

"Urgh!" Sarah yelled. "I don't believe this! It's not f . . ."

Sarah caught herself and sucked her lips into her mouth, hoping Jareth hadn't caught that last bit. But, even with her back to him, she could still feel his clever grin staring at her from behind.

"Was that last word going to be "fair", dear one?" he asked, sweetly.

Sarah held back the urge to stomp her foot with difficulty.

"No, that is what you are doing wrong, Sarah," said Jareth, standing up and walking toward her. "You have allowed yourself to grow up. You have built the walls that bind your magic at bay by establishing boundaries like "impossible" and "unnatural" and "childish". You have to relinquish your hold on the world and embrace what cannot be or is not allowed. You have to permit yourself to open your mind again, as a child does. You are too busy thinking and so you cannot perform as you still can."

Sarah snorted. "If I had a dime for every guy who ever said that I think too much . . ."

"You are letting your thoughts cloud your spirit," Jareth interrupted. "You keep letting the thoughts get in the way. That is what is making this so difficult. Here," he reached forward and took Sarah's hands into both of his. "Close your eyes and try to remember how things used to be, before the monotony drove most of it out of you."

Sarah obeyed him and closed her eyes.

"Think," Jareth said, softly. "Think back to the days long ago. Remember the park you used to go to, where you would act out your lines? Try and remember that feeling."

Sarah's memories spun back to that park from years ago. Dressed up in her old costumes, playing make-believe, using _The Labyrinth_ as a script . . .

"Remember how it felt," Jareth whispered. "As you danced and spoke your lines, trying to force them to be real. Remember how the impossible seemed so within reach. How the pictures in your mind were almost there. You could nearly see the faces, hear the voices, how everything seemed so very close. Remember it."

She could remember. She could hear the stream water flowing gently in the background, the smell of the air just before it rained, see the obelisks and stone benches littered on the grassy hills. Everything came to her in crystal clear picture. She could feel the lightness of imagination going through her. She remembered how regal she'd felt in those pretty gowns and how powerful she'd felt as she said the words. In those moments, the impossible seemed so real. She really was a princess, there really was another world waiting for her, she was on a mission, there was evil to be destroyed . . .

Her mind suddenly very clear, Sarah opened her eyes and glanced down at her hands, which were still being held by Jareth. She gently pulled away from him and focused her feelings on the space between her hands. The tingling sensation reappeared in her fingers and back and, to Sarah's delight, something finally happened.

A light, wispy vapor appeared between her hands. It shimmered lightly and kept changing color. Very slowly and carefully, as if handling something very fragile, Sarah guided the vapor down to the wine glass. The vapor fell into the glass and the liquid inside began to swirl very fast. After a second, it was no longer the deep red it had been before, but a light, yellowish color.

Jareth picked up the glass and took a sip from it. "You changed it from red wine to white wine," he informed her.

"R-really!" Sarah gasped, thrilled by what she'd done. "I . . . I really did it! I preformed magic!"

"Yes, you did," Jareth acknowledged.

"How come it didn't come as a crystal, like you?" Sarah asked, looking down at her hands.

"The shape of magic is unique to the person performing it," Jareth explained. "For me it comes in the form of my crystals, but not for anybody else. That mist that was produced is the form of magic before it takes a shape. Your magic will not take a shape of its own until you have become fully tapped into your natural powers. When you have mastered it, it will assume its own, unique shape. But we are a long ways away from that time yet.

"Once again, Sarah. You improved it, but white wine is still wine. You still have a ways to go before its pure water."

"Spoilsport," Sarah grumbled, good-naturedly, and then returned her focus to the wine glass.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"You were wise to come to me rather than the Big Man, Kieran. He'd have asked you why you didn't kill Jareth right away and then y'all would've been in trouble."

Kieran glared at his fellow Agent of Chaos, Zane, from a cross the desk in Zane's study. Kieran had come to visit Zane's home at the Castle Within the Iron Mines. It was a dark, hot place and Kieran despised it compared to the cool shade of his own forest. Yet Zane was the only Agent with whom he felt comfortable confiding with since his unexpected visit with Jareth.

"I came to you because you are Chaos's favorite, Zane," Kieran replied, glaring at his fellow Agent of Chaos. "You were the first to answer his call and therefore you are closest to him. He listens to you, heeds your advice . . ."

"You flatter me," Zane laughed, taking a short black stick out of an inner pocket of his bright, colorful robe. "Hee hee, his "favorite". Me? That's grand. If he'd ever had a favorite among the Agents, it would have been Jareth."

"Jareth is a traitor," Kieran said, hotly. "He always prized you above all the rest of us! He picked you first . . ."

"Just because I was first doesn't make me favored or trusted by him," Zane said, chewing on the end of the stick. "Jareth was the special one. He's only recently become a traitor, and even now I think Chaos still hold him in come regard. Deathstick?" he offered the black stick to Kieran.

"You know how I abhor your filthy habits," Kieran said, eyeing the stick with distaste.

"Suit yourself," said Zane, putting the deathstick back between his teeth. "Anyway, why did you not kill Jareth when you saw him? You're a good, obedient servant. Why let him live?"

"I didn't let him live, he escaped," Kieran replied. "And I didn't kill him on sight because . . . because . . ." he lowered his eyes and chewed his lip. "I was curious. I had to know his motives. Why would he turn his back on us? He has been among our number for many, many years now. You just said that he was favored by Chaos. Why would he do what he did? Why fight to come back after being Shattered and tortured. Why?"

"Because he doesn't like to give up," Zane said, calmly. "Jareth's a force to be reckoned with, mark my words. He was the one who handled the people that Chaos just couldn't stand. His power's only gonna get stronger, of that I am most sure."

Kieran lowered his head. "I thought . . . that if it was the human girl . . ."

Zane laughed. "Oh, I see! You thought there might still be hope for him if this was all the work of his little lady, didn't y'all? Well, I can tell you right here and now, she was barely a part of it. He was leaving us long before she came into the picture. She doesn't have no hoodoo voodoo of her own. All she's guilty of is batten' her pretty little eyes and smiling for the camera."

"You speak of this as if it is a joke," Kieran hissed. "Jareth is only getting stronger and is posing as an ever more pressing threat. After his betrayal, after his return, after he killed Quintus . . ."

"Quintus was an idjit!" Zane yelled, slamming his palm into the desk. "He took over Jareth's land and Jareth took it back. If he couldn't stand up to him, that's his too bad! That's what we gotta take care of. Jareth's coming and he's coming with a vengeance. He'll start picking us off. He's already tried at you and if he comes back, he'll try an' kill you, you have my word on it. Next, he'll try the brothers and then me then Saturnin!"

"Why Saturnin last?" Kieran asked. "And why you before him?"

"Because I'm the smartest and Saturnin is the strongest," Zane explained, still munching on his deathstick. "He values my brain but Saturnin's skill is much more intimidating, he'll save him for last."

Kieran shook his head and rose from his seat. "You are paranoid," he said, softly. "Please relay my message to Lord Chaos when next you see him."

"Oh, I most certainly shall," said Zane, sucking on the deathstick. He watched Kieran leave, feeling particularly thoughtful. An effect of the deathstick, no doubt. But Zane was a very clever Agent. He knew things that most other took for granted. Kieran had a soft side and wouldn't take pleasure in killing Jareth and that, in turn, is what would get Kieran killed in the end. And Jareth _would _come for the rest of them. That was something he knew for a fact.

Zane stood up and looked out his window at the mines. There he had thousands of slaves working for him. Mostly they consisted of dwarves to do the digging, Cyclopes to do the forging, and harpies to keep all the others in line. He liked seeing them work for him. They made an array of weapons which he sold to whoever wanted them, of course keeping the best of them for himself and for Chaos. As long as he kept Chaos happy, he didn't care what else went on in the world.

But Chaos was scheming, he could tell. He was always so observant. He knew that Chaos had something up his sleeve, something that had centered on the Agents. Jareth's betrayal seemed to have started some kind of chain of events. Events that would lead to something dark and dire. Something that only Chaos himself could dream up. He was, after all, the worst of the worst.

_Chaos is a fool if he thinks he can hide his plans from me,_ Zane thought. _I'm on to him. Jareth turning against us was just the beginning of a trial that I admit I didn't see coming. Even **He **didn't see it coming. If Jareth keeps going around and killing Agents, the others might be able to see it in time as well. But I'm the only one to figure it out so far. They'll all suffer if they don't connect the dots soon. If only I could turn it in my favor . . ._

_But then again, I'm sure I can._

_And I will._


	4. The Theft of Beauty

Sarah awoke against her will. She was so tired, her eyelids so heavy, she didn't have the strength or the will to awaken. Her magic lessons were surprisingly taxing on her. After five consecutive lessons, she'd managed to turn the red wine into carbonated water which, in Jareth's book, still wasn't good enough. She hadn't come along as well as she'd hoped she would. She'd been trying her hardest to get her magic to take shape and work properly, but the effort was draining her of energy and so, by the end of the day, she was ready to collapse in bed and not wake up again for a year.

She was on the verge of drifting back to sleep when she heard a groan beside her. Sarah opened her eyes to see that Jareth was turning and twisting in his sleep, his face contorted what may have been fear or pain.

"Jareth," Sarah said, moving closer to him and laying her hand on his forehead. There was cold sweat on it and Sarah was gripped by fear herself. "Jareth! Jareth, wake up."

Jareth began to thrash more violently, groaning in fear, gritting his teeth together.

"Jareth!"

His eyes snapped open. He stopped thrashing and held perfectly still, his eyes darting around the room. When they fell on Sarah, Jareth sighed and relaxed completely, taking long, calming breaths.

"You were dreaming," Sarah soothed him, running her hand through his hair.

Jareth nodded. "Yes. Yes, I was. But they are over now. I'm fine."

"You've been getting them a lot lately," Sarah reminded him. "They're getting even more frequent."

"I'm afraid so," Jareth said. "I can't stop the images from coming. I've blocked them from my mind when I am awake, but asleep I am vulnerable to them."

"Tell me," Sarah said. "What are they about?"

Jareth looked into her eyes and smiled. "You wouldn't like them. They are images of my past, during my days as an Agent. Many of them I had forgotten, but now they come clambering back into my mind."

"They say, in the Aboveground, that if you tell someone of a bad dream then you'll never have that dream again," Sarah said. "You won't feel burdened with them if you share them with someone who cares for you."

Jareth stared at her for a long time. Then he shook his head and said, "Those days were dreadful ones, my Sarah. I am far from proud of my behavior back then. I was just as much an Agent as any of the others. I did things, terrible things, and didn't lose sleep over them. It's only fitting, now that I am an Agent no more, that they haunt me now. I must ask you, my love, to let me keep these things to myself. They are shameful and I don't want to burden you with them."

"Are you sure?" Sarah asked, uncertainly.

"Most sure," Jareth replied. Then he reached up a hand to touch her cheek. "You needn't worry about me anymore. I'm fine now. There are still a few hours before dawn. You should get more sleep. I have no intentions of going easy on your magic lessons today."

Sarah laughed, happy that Jareth was his normal self again. "Okay," she said, laying back down and resting her head on Jareth's chest. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a warm hug. It was so nice and warm in the embrace that it felt as though nothing could penetrate the peace. Jareth fell back to sleep quickly, but Sarah remained awake, listening to her lover's heart beat and wondering what was bothering him.

She'd never asked questions about his time as an Agent of Chaos. She'd known him only briefly while he was still in Chaos's employ, when he was the Goblin King. What could he have done that was so terrible? She imagined that there were plenty of things that he had the potential to do, but what could he have done that it would haunt him so many years later? Sarah was no fool. She knew her Jareth. He was powerful and had the potential to be cruel.

Now that she was awake, Sarah couldn't bring herself to go back to sleep. She gently pulled herself out of Jareth's embrace, slid out of bed, and got dressed. She slid out of the room, allowing Jareth to sleep longer, and went into the throne room.

Most goblins were still asleep inside there. They made funny noises and muttered strange things when they slept (one of them was making gargling sounds, as though dreaming of mouthwash and another was mumbling "Don't mind me, I'll give you even better warts than these when I'm finished with them.")

As Sarah circled the room, she came upon her three oldest friends. Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus were all huddled into a corner, snoring serenely. Sir Didymus was using his sheep dog steed, Ambrosius, as a pillow. Sarah smiled at the scene. They had been the biggest comfort to her when she had made the decision to travel to the Underground along with Jareth. They were always by her side, aiding her and helping her as best they could.

As she watched them, she caught sight of something moving through the mirror on the wall. This mirror was how they moved from place to place. It could take them to the main regions of the Underground from their hiding spot and also served as their main communication to the Aboveground. It was how they stayed in touch with Carl, one of Sarah's human friends who knew a great deal about Chaos and the Agents.

Curious, Sarah moved closer to the mirror and touched it with her hand. "Who was it that moved through here?" she asked it. In answer, the mirror showed her a picture of the last person to use the mirror. Recognizing them, Sarah smiled and said to the mirror, "Take me to where they are."

After a strange, brief feeling of standing in the eye of a cyclone of color, Sarah transported out of the castle and into the early light of the Underground. She was in the middle of a clearing in a forest, through which Sarah could hear the sounds of rushing water, and she witnessed her friend was standing a few feet away.

"Agaea! Agaea, over here!"

Agaea turned and grinned at her. "Ah, Sarah! You're just in time."

Agaea was from the Aboveground as well. She was a kind of mystic who had strange powers and was able to perform a kind of minor magic of her own. She was able to summon things from one world to another and made a living off selling magic potions and remedies to the humans in the next world. It was thanks to Agaea that Sarah was able to save Jareth from his torture at the hands of Chaos and brought him to the Aboveground where he could recover in peace.

"What are you doing out here?" Sarah asked, hurrying over to where she was standing.

"Just confirming something," Agaea told her. "There's an old suspicion that I know of and I wanted to see if it had any truth in it. You can see it with me, if you like. It should be magnificent."

"What?" Sarah asked, uncertainly.

"Watch," Agaea instructed, pointing over to a stream not far from where they stood.

Sarah watched, wondering what exactly they were about to see. Then, as the first rays of sunlight shone through the gaps in the trees, creatures appeared. Pure, glorious creatures began to arrive near the water, as if they were formed from the faint, morning mist.

Unicorns.

But they were unlike the creatures found in children's story books. There were several different types that showed up. There were horse-shaped, goat-shaped, deer-shaped, and even bull-shaped. They were not white but silvery-colored and each one had a horn protruding from the center of their foreheads. The creatures moved noiselessly through the grass, towards the stream for a drink.

"Come on," Agaea said, taking Sarah's hand. "It should be okay for us to approach. Unicorns prefer the presence of women."

Sarah nodded, still a little in awe of what she was seeing and allowed Agaea to pull her toward the creatures. Carefully, she approached a unicorn that was roughly the size and shape of a fawn. Sarah reached out her hand and touched its back. Its pelt had the same feel to it as velvet. The unicorn stopped drinking and looked up at her. Its eyes were jewel bright and stared at her benignly.

"You've made a good first impression," Agaea noted happily, stroking a large bull-shaped unicorn a few feet away.

"They're gorgeous," Sarah sighed. "I didn't know these really existed."

"Yes," Agaea said, dreamily. "They're not as pretty as most Abovegrounders would think, but they do exist. They spend most of the day running wild, so swiftly that the human eye cannot see, but at dawn they stop to drink. Then they can be seen and, if you are pure enough, able to touch them. They cannot, however, be ridden. They are not beasts of burden."

"I should think not," Sarah agreed. "It would be a shame to see something like this in a harness."

"Silly thing to even imagine," Agaea said, nodding.

"You seem to know a lot about the Underground," Sarah said, looking up at her. "Ever since you came down here, you seem like you're so comfortable and at home. I've been down here a couple weeks longer than you and I'm still getting used to it."

Agaea didn't reply right away. She continued to gaze at her unicorn, looking a little lost.

"Agaea?" Sarah asked, uncertainly. "Are you alright?"

Agaea snapped out of her thoughts and smiled reassuringly. "Sorry," she said. "But I have always felt apart from the Aboveground world. This world is much more my style. Perhaps that's why I have always felt more comfortable here than I ever was up there. I feel . . . in my element, I guess."

Sarah smiled. "That makes sense. I'm glad you like it here." She tried her best to sound reassuring to Agaea, but Sarah got the strangest feeling her friend wasn't being very honest with her. Now that she thought about it, Jareth seemed to know something about Agaea as well, but wasn't saying anything to her about it. The two of them had a kind of secret, silent agreement with each other that Sarah couldn't quite put her finger on. But when it comes down to it, Sarah figured that if it was something too important that they would tell her about it. She trusted them both too much to give in to groundless suspicions.

Sarah had just returned her attention to the unicorns when, quite suddenly, the ground began to shake. The unicorns stood suddenly at attention, their heads turning this way and that. Agaea gasped in fear and hurried over to Sarah, grasping her wrist and pulling her away from the stream.

"What's go. . ." Sarah began, unable to understand what was happening.

"No time!" Agaea cried. "Quick, hide!"

Agaea pulled Sarah deeper into the woods and together they hid behind a large tree. The unicorns must have sensed danger too, obviously, because they deserted the stream and started preparing to run away.

Before they could, more creatures broke free from the ground and made towards the unicorns. Two different kinds of monsters immerged and made towards the unicorns. The first were wicked, nasty creatures with lumpy greenish-black skin, red eyes and vicious-looking nails and teeth. There second kind looked to Sarah like the ugliest batch of women she'd ever seen. They were clothed in only thin, cotton dresses clinging to their gray bodies which were barely seen through long, long strands of dark green, tangled hair.

The unicorns immediately made a break for it. They took off with the most miraculous speed that it was like they simply transformed from solid creatures to gusts of wind. But as they started disappearing, the women-like creatures opened their mouths and unleashed an unearthly sound. Louder than anything you'd hear at a rock concert and it had the same bone-searing chill to it as a hundred screeching violin or a thousand nails scraping a chalkboard. The dreadful noise made the unicorns stiffen in fear, unable to run because the sound was so overwhelming.

Their temporary paralysis was just what the other monsters were looking for. They jumped upon the unicorns and sank their nails and teeth into their silvery bodies. The unicorns barely had time to cry out before the creatures dragged them back down into the earth, smothering them, covering them.

"Stop it!" Sarah cried, covering her ears. But she was unheard over the din of the battle before them. Sarah tried to get around the tree and help, but Agaea reached out and held her in place.

The clawed monsters dragged the unicorns into the ground, eleven in total, and the women-like ones ended their wailing to crawl back down with the others. When all was quiet again and all the creatures were gone, Sarah turned and rounded on Agaea.

"What's the matter with you?" she yelled. "Why did you stop me? Why did you let that happen?"

"It would have been worse if they'd found you," Agaea said, keeping her tone quiet so as not to make Sarah angry. "Those were blackish creatures are gremlins, Sarah, and the long haired ones were banshees. They served the Agents of Chaos, just as the goblins serve Jareth!"

Sarah blinked. "They . . . serve the Agents?"

"Yes," Agaea said. "Those ones, I believe, serve the two brothers, Ruther and Vahrley."

"What did they want with unicorns?" Sarah demanded.

"I don't know," Agaea admitted. "But there's nothing you could do, Sarah. Things would have been much worse if they'd taken you to."

Sarah stammered in frustration and anger. "But . . . I . . . I couldn't do anything! I couldn't stop what happened . . . I . . . it's just . . . ." Angry tears began to form in her eyes and she turned away from Agaea, not wanting her to see.

A light, sorrowful sound reached their ears. A couple of the unicorns had come back and were starting to circle the overturned earth, crying out sadly.

"What are they doing?" Sarah asked.

Agaea watched them, miserably. "They must have taken their mates," she said. "They mate for life, unicorns. They find each other and never separate. Their commitment to each other is eternal."

"So," Sarah said, her heart aching. "What'll happen to them?"

"They'll probably never leave this spot," Agaea said, her voice thick with sorrow. "They'll stay in this exact place and pine away for their lost ones. Some of the stronger ones may find it in them to get up and keep living, but I suspect some of them will stay here and die."

Sarah gasped and looked out at the mourning creatures. This was all Chaos's fault! Chaos and his Agents brought this misery to these creatures for whatever their reasons were. It wasn't right. What had they done to deserve this?

Chaos and his Agents just had to be stopped.


	5. The Brothers Agent

**Ying-Fa: Aw. Only three reviews? That makes me so sad and not want to write as much. Lack of reviews makes me do evil things and we don't want that, do we . . .? (blinks in a very innocent way). Please leave them. It would really make my day.**

Vahrley guffawed happily as he sucked the last of the marrow from the final bone on his plate. "Ah," he said, rubbing his huge belly contentedly. "Unicorn meat be the most succulent in all the Underground." He licked his lips and turned to his gremlin minions. "Go back later tonight and see if there are any mates left around where you caught these. Them all should make for another week o' food!"

"Hatcha!" shrieked the gremlins, and they hurried off out of the dining room.

"Yum, yum," Vahrley said pushing himself out of his seat. A good meal always put him in a good mood. He waltzed through the halls of the castle that he shared with his brother, Ruther. He always knew where he could find Ruther at this time of day. Most likely he'd be in the bathing chambers. Vahrley went in to check on him.

The two brothers lived in the Castle Beneath the Frozen Waters. It was the one of the more secure of the Castles which housed an Agent of Chaos. It stood at the bottom of a vast lake high in the Winter Regions of the Underground. Though the Regions were extremely cold all year round at all times of the day, the brothers lived well in their home. The Castle was surprisingly comfortable, built entirely of turquoise and marble. It was a grand sight, and fitting for the both of them.

As Vahrley entered the bathing chambers, he caught sight of his brother sitting dreamily in a tub that was full to the brim with a thick, silvery substance. Vahrley guffawed again.

"Are you enjoying your unicorn blood bath, brother?" he asked.

Ruther grinned up Vahrley. "Indeed, I am. And did you enjoy your meal of their flesh?"

"Delicious!" Vahrley confirmed. "When will you give up this habit, brother? Only women bath in unicorn blood."

"They do not," Ruther insisted. "How else am I going to keep up these dashing looks of mine? Unicorn blood is essential for beauty, you know. It also can enhance one's magical abilities. But it is only useful if it is bathed in. It can be poisonous if drunk."

"That's why we drain the suckers dry so you can bathe in the blood and I can eat the meat!" Vahrley cried, happily. "Such a good team we are, brother! I pity anyone who stands in our way."

Ruther smiled, then rose from his bath of blood, took a towel and dried himself off. "Even Jareth?" he asked, casting Vahrley a clever smile.

"Ha!" Vahrley squealed. "That filthy codger's got too many problems as it is. If he can get around to killin' us, then I'll applaud him. Let him even try to enter our castle! It's impenetrable! There be somethin' he should appreciate!"

"We all thought the Labyrinth was impenetrable too," Ruther reminded him. "Speaking of which, I have developed an undying curiosity about this human girl they keep talking about. You know the one who seduced Jareth."

"'Er?" Vahrley said, perplexed. "What do you want to know about 'er?"

"If she caught the eye of our fallen friend, Jareth, I'm willing to bet she's quite something in the looks department," said Ruther, a darkness cast suddenly over his blue eyes. "Jareth was always so picky with lady partners, I failed to think he'd ever get so head-over-heels for any creature. I can't help but wonder . . . at just how beautiful . . . she might possibly be . . ." his voice trailed away hungrily.

Vahrley laughed. "Keep it together, brother! All the Underground knows that all the female creatures of any kind haven't a chance against yer charmin' ways!"

"Yes, yes," said Ruther, waving his hand vainly. "I wonder just how strong Jareth will be when he sees his muse at my side, fulfilling my every need."

"Ha! Dark, brother," said Vahrley. "And when he's at his weakest, I'll be there! I'll chop him up and stew him like the cow-heart he's become!"

"And I shall be there to bathe in _his_ blood next," said Ruther and the two brothers laughed at their cleverness and cunning.

A gremlin hurried into the chamber, waving its hands and grunting urgently.

"Mmm! Mmm! Mmm!" the gremlin said, pointing to itself.

"Got summat to say?" Vahrley asked.

"Mmm! Mmm! Mmm!" the gremlin repeated, still pointing at itself. You see gremlins are vicious creatures, but they lack the ability to speak since they have no tongues. They only have teeth.

"I'll see what he wants," Ruther said, walking over to the gremlin. He raised his index finger, and touched against the gremlin's scaly forehead. At once, he could see the thoughts of the creature and delve into its memories. He saw the memory the gremlin wanted to show him. It was of a few hours ago, when they'd caught the unicorns. As the gremlin had started to drag its victim into the ground, a woman had stepped out from behind a large tree. She looked scared and angry, her mouth moving, but her voice lost amidst the cries of the banshees. A pair of hands seized her from behind and dragged her back into hiding.

Ruther removed his finger from the gremlin and looked over at his brother smiling. "I think we've found Jareth's little human," he said, grinning. "And I was right. She _is_ a beauty."

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Jareth listened as Sarah explained all that she and Agaea had seen that morning. His brow was furrowed and he was covering his mouth with his hand as he normally did when he wanted to hold back a particularly violent emotion.

"Yes, that sounds like Vahrley and Ruther, all right," he said. "Disgusting pair, the two of them are. I never liked them, not even when I was an Agent."

"So I guess we won't be able to get them to turn against Chaos either," Sarah said, sitting down on the arm of his throne.

Hardly," said Jareth, coldly. "They love Chaos's gifts too much. There are a lot of blessings to being an Agent, my Sarah. Chaos grants the Agents power, glory, anything they want. He can even grant them better looks or improvement in abilities. All they have to do is continue to serve him blindly."

"I see," said Sarah. "That's how he gave you your voice, right?"

"Correct," Jareth told her. "I had a talent for singing before I became an Agent, but it was he who helped me to master it. So, from now on, whenever you see a creature of evil, best to head in the opposite direction as fast as possible."

"Who do I tell the evil creatures from the good ones?" Sarah asked.

"Well, you know you can now trust the goblins," Jareth told her. "And there are some creatures that do not follow Chaos and his terror. Sprites, for instance, are safe. As are Brownies, griffins, unicorns, a few selected Fae are safe, anything that lives within the light. So don't trust the nocturnal or those hungry for the flesh of innocents."

"Alright," said Sarah, trying to remember it all.

"In the meantime, my dear, I suggest you get to work on your magic," Jareth said, changing the subject quickly. "If you want to be able to defend yourself, you will have to work to get your magic to take form."

Sarah frowned. Her magic. She hadn't thought about it since this morning. All that work and all she managed to do was produce that weak little mist. It was so irritating. "How long will it be before it takes shape?" she asked.

"Awhile still," Jareth said.

Sarah groaned. "How long did it take yours to take form?"

"Once I began to learn how to harness my power it took me 10 months to master it," he answered.

"10 months!" Sarah cried in dismay.

"Yes, and for you it will be longer," said Jareth. "You're human and that's your weakness. If you can break through the boundaries that keep it at bay _then_ you will be able to use it freely."

"Great," she mumbled. "I have to get over the fact that I'm human. Splendid."

At that moment, the mirror on the wall shimmered with a bright light. Jareth turned to face it. That light meant that there was someone trying to communicate through it.

"Show us," Jareth told it. The light vanished and the face of Carl Finchly, their friend from the Aboveground, appeared on the other side.

Carl's father had written the book that had brought Sarah to the Underground in the first place. As his father had been, Carl was an avid researcher of legends. He knew a lot about the Underground and the creatures that lived there even though he'd never been there himself. Instead, he'd traveled to Ireland, where his father had discovered the more accurate information about Chaos and the Agents.

The months of travel and endless research had taken something of a toll on Carl. He seemed skinnier and a bit more disheveled than before and he was starting to get the shadow of a beard forming around his thin mouth. He had used every last bit of the money he'd gotten from his father's life insurance to be able to travel like he was and it was enough to keep him there for awhile.

"S-Sarah? Jareth? Are you guys there? Geez, I hate talking through this thing. People think I'm talking to my own reflection."

"Then don't use it around other people, Carl," said Jareth, shaking his head. "How are your findings coming along?"

"Alright," said Carl. "This time difference is driving me crazy, but I managed to find some of the old records that I think Dad used when he was gathering information on his book."

"Anything useful?" Jareth asked.

"Not yet," Carl admitted. "But I've got a meeting coming up with a legends expert. They should know all that there is to know about the Fae and legends regarding them. But, I'm sure, you already know all there is to know," he cast Jareth an embarrassed look.

Jareth's gaze lowered. "Whatever information you acquire will be of value, Carl, you have my assurance," he said sternly. "Find what you can. Anything will help. Remember, Chaos trusted almost nothing to the Agents. We know nothing of his origin or the source of his power."

"R-right," said Carl, shakily. "Alright, I'd better go. Good luck, you guys."

With that, Carl's face vanished from the mirror.

"Do you think Carl really will find the answers he needs in the Aboveground?" Sarah asked, uncertainly.

"His father found a frightfully accurate amount of information up there on his own," Jareth reminded her. "And like I told him, Chaos keeps his cards very close to his chest. He never tells anyone more than they need to know, least of all the Agents. Searching for answers in the Aboveground is not a bad strategy in the least. We might discover something useful and Carl can dig as deeply as he likes without fear that Chaos will find him. As all-powerful as he is, Chaos cannot control what goes on in the Aboveground. It's safest there."

"That's true," Sarah said, nodding. "I hope that Carl can find what we need. It would be terrible if it didn't work out."

Jareth smiled. "Even if he doesn't, I will not stop my march against Chaos. I can't afford to, now that I've made myself his enemy."

"Yeah," Sarah said heavily. "Well, you're not alone. Every creature in the Labyrinth is with you. And so am I." She moved forward and wrapped her arms around him.

Jareth grinned and returned her embrace, planting a kiss in her hair. "And that makes me five-times what I would be without you," Jareth told her. "Now, practice. I have to check on the guard."

He left the room and Sarah worked on her magic. She conjured the multi-colored mist again and tried to force it to take shape. Again and again she created the mist, but that was all she could do. She tried to create something else with it, as she had seen Jareth do with is crystals, turning them into objects. She thought of the peach he'd given her and tried to turn the mist into a peach.

The mist merely turned faintly orange and round but then dispersed. Sarah summoned the mist again with the same result. Frustrated, she brought the mist back just to swipe at it with an angry hand. It blew away dreamily like a small, shimmery cloud. It collided with the mirror and suddenly the mirror shone with a brilliant light again.

Sarah stared at it. Was someone trying to call?

"Hello?" Sarah called into the mirror.

There was no answer, but the light didn't fade. Had she made the light come with her magic?

"Is someone there?" Sarah said, moving closer.

No answer. No change.

"Carl, is that you?" she asked. "Agaea? Anyone?"

Sarah's friend Hoggle came into the room, yawning and rubbing his eyes. He was always one of the last to wake up. "Someone callin', Sarah?" he asked.

"I think so," she said. "I hit the mirror with my magic and . . . this happened."

Hoggle approached the mirror, raising a withered hand to shield his eyes from the brightness. "Hm," he said. "Doesn't look like nothin'. Just forget it. Get that lousy excuse fer a king in here and have him show you how ta turn it off. Just figures he'd not tell anyone how to use them useless doodads that he . . ."

Before he could finish, a large hand shot out from the mirror. It was large and seemed to be made of the light coming out of the mirror. It stretched out and flexed it's bright fingers then . . . and wrapped itself around the closest thing to it.

_Hoggle!_

Hoggle let out a wild cry of fear as the hand lifted him upward, trying to pull him through the mirror. "SARAH!" he yelled, groping for her.

"Hoggle!" Sarah cried, coming to his aid. She took hold of both his hands and began to pull him away from the mirror, out of the grasp of the hand that had him around the waist. For a few moments, Sarah and the body-less hand had a kind of tug-of-war with Hoggle's body. Sarah was afraid that they were going to rip Hoggle in two if this kept up too long.

"Help me!" Hoggle gasped, his face full of terror.

"I've got you, Hoggle," Sarah tried to assure him. "Hold on."

Sarah gave an almighty tug and Hoggle was pulled more her way. This gave her courage. For a few seconds, she thought she was going to win. That is, until a second hand shot forward and wrapped itself around Sarah herself.

With a scream, Sarah tried to pull herself out of its clutching fingers but the hand refused to give way. Then both hands pulled and both Sarah and Hoggle were pulled into the mirror. For a few minutes, they were surrounded by light and wind. There was no telling where they were or where they were going. After a few seconds of confused falling, they landed painfully on what felt like marble floor.

"I told you it wouldn' be hard, brother! Jareth's minx is ours! And . . . wot be this?"

Sarah raised her head. As afraid as she was of what she might see, it felt even worse to be unaware of what she was dealing with. Two men stood before them, one fat and bald, one thin and handsome, and behind them was an army of gremlins.

It was Ruther and Vahrley. _The Agents of Chaos!_

**Ying-Fa: See? Lack of reviews is equal to evil cliffies! Oh, little plee, I have begun a new story titled Wonderland Once Again for the Alice In Wonderland 2010 fandom. If you liked that movie as much as I did, and you have some time on your hands, could you read it and give some reviews? Poor thing has been neglected. That would be lovely. Thank you all how have continued to support me.**


	6. The Coming Chaos

Sarah sat firmly on the hard, stone floor of the room she'd been locked in, taking deep breaths through her nose. Her ankle was chained to a metal peg in the floor and the chain was barely long enough for her to skim the wall with her fingertips. The keys were with the two Agents and Hoggle was nowhere to be found. Ruther and Vahrley had had the two of them seized and separated the moment they'd gotten there.

_Now_, she thought with all the calm she had in her. _How do I get out of here?_

She'd already tried to summon her magic and hopefully it would be strong enough to break the chain. But the mist wouldn't appear, which was terribly frustrating. It usually showed up whenever she needed it, she'd gotten to the point where summoning it was almost second nature, so why wasn't it working? Maybe the room she was in was somehow magic-proof. She tugged on the chain and peg, but they were solid as a rock.

There was no way she could contact Jareth or anyone else from the Labyrinth. She was in enemy territory and so her chances for survival were extremely low. Her friend was also a prisoner here and she didn't know if she'd be able to save them both. She'd been sitting in this miserable cold room for hours, she had no idea what time it was, she was hungry and scared for Hoggle and herself.

In short, she was sunk.

Sarah lay down on the cold, hard floor and tried to find a comfortable spot. She wanted to know what was going on and she was scared and angry, but all she could do now is wait for something to happen. There was nothing else she could do. Her magic wasn't strong enough to help her and Jareth was nowhere to be seen. Maybe if she slept then she'll wake up and realize it was all a bad dream.

But before she could even fall asleep, the door to her room opened. Sarah sat up immediately, her guard up, ready to defend herself if she had to.

"I always admired a woman with fire in her spirit."

It was Ruther. He strolled into the room with a kind of lazy grace, his cold blue eyes on Sarah. "Jareth did too. I see why he is so attracted to you. You are not distressed little damsel, aren't you? You've been up here for hours and, by the looks of you, you haven't shed a single tear. How brave."

Sarah huffed and turned away from him. "I won't be here long," she said, angrily.

"Why?" asked Ruther, coming nearer to her. "Because you think Jareth will come and rescue you?"

"Either that or I'll find a way to escape," Sarah said, harshly. "I'm not staying here and you can't keep me here."

Ruther didn't seem at all abashed by her behavior. Quite the contrary, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself. "You'll escape, will you? Well, allow me to give you a tiny bit of advice for when you try. This castle is at the bottom of a very deep lake in the Winter Region of the Underground. It is always freezing cold and snowy here. So if you somehow manage to get free from the room, you'll have to swim all to way to the surface, a good oh 2,150 feet, and pray that where you come up isn't frozen over. So, should you escape, I wish you all the luck in the world. But do forgive me if I don't come running after you, won't you? Too long in the water and my precious skin starts to prune."

Ruther laughed at the dismay on Sarah's face. "All the castles where the Agents reside are guarded heavily and never simple to find. But, I suppose you'd know that, seeing as you made it through the Labyrinth to Jareth's castle, didn't you?"

Sarah didn't want to speak to him, so she merely nodded curtly.

"Such valor," Ruther hissed, his eye narrowing in a despicable way that Sarah didn't like one bit. "Such spirit for one so lovely, I never would have suspected. The females of the Underground can get so . . . repetitive it's boring. Naiads giggle too much, Fae women are too proper, sprites are nasty and no fun whatsoever, human women can be so _dreadfully_ ugly, I wouldn't bother with them at all. But _you_ my dear . . ._ you_ are just my type of creature."

He leaned forward and reached out a finger to stroke Sarah's jaw, but she lashed out and tried to bite him. He pulled away with a laugh.

"Vicious little thing!" he said, playfully. "You'll be a tough spirit to break, I can tell you. But I look forward to the challenge."

"You stay the hell away from me!" Sarah shrieked. "Don't you dare touch me! If you do I'll kill you!"

"Really?" said Ruther, softly. "And how will you manage that?"

"I'll bite your tongue right out of your mouth so that you drown in your own blood," Sarah hissed, meaning every word.

"That old threat?" Ruther said, smiling. "How silly, I didn't think anyone used that anymore. But doesn't it go that you'll bite off _your own_ tongue?"

"What good would that do for me?" Sarah snapped. "This way I get rid of you and still have my own life."

Ruther's smile slipped from his face. He stared at Sarah for a few minutes, expressionless. "You really are something else, aren't you?" he said, his voice suddenly more firm than before.

"I try to be," Sarah said proudly. "So I can't escape. Fine! Then I'll just wait for Jareth. He'll come, I know it. When he does, you'll be sorry. You know what he did to Quintus! He'll do the same to you."

Ruther moved away from her and started pacing the small room. "Yes, I know what he did to Quintus. He ran him through and stole his Symbol." He stilled suddenly and showed Sarah his heel. Just above the sandal he was wearing there was an anklet upon which there was a sickle-shaped charm with a jewel at the top. It was the Symbol of Chaos, the artifact that bound the Agents to their master and marked them as his henchmen.

"But not all of us are like Quintus, dear girl," Ruther said, continuing to move. "He was a greedy fool and had a nasty habit of underestimating people. But I never underestimate an opponent, be they young or old, male or female. Most of all, though, I would never, _never_, underestimate Jareth. He used to be a force to be reckoned with, you know? The most feared of all the Agents, I'd say. Well I say the most, he was actually more like second place next to Saturnin, the executioner. But at least with Saturnin, death is assured quick and clean. The same could not be said if Chaos gave you over to Jareth."

Ruther stopped walking around and knelt down beside Sarah and stared her in the eye. "If you were sent into the Labyrinth as punishment, you would never see the outside of its walls again. You saw them didn't you? The skeletons littering the oubliettes? They were merely simple creatures until they crossed the path of Chaos. Millions have gone into that place and, until you arrived, nobody came back out.

"Jareth was the cruelest of us all. True, he never actually shed the blood of his victims himself. He never had to. They met their deaths in the twists and turns, dying of starvation, falling pray to his tricks. But what makes him cruel, young one, is that he could see them the whole time, lost and confused and dying, through his crystals. He could hear their screams echoing up to his palace.

"And he ignored them all."

Sarah sat there, stunned by what she was hearing, but then she shook her head violently. "I don't care!" she cried. "That's how he used to be! He's not that way anymore."

"Isn't he?" said Ruther, leaning closer. "You said yourself that he's capable of killing. He murdered poor Quintus, didn't he?"

"He deserved it," Sarah snapped. "And you do to! You're all evil, just like Chaos!"

"Says who?"

"Says everything you do!"

Ruther stood and approached her, but at a safe distance. "You forget that Jareth used to be one of us. He's just as evil as the rest of us, just as cruel."

"He's changed," Sarah said, glaring at him with all the hate she could muster. "He's sorry for what he did."

"Oh, I'm sure he's sorry," said Ruther, with a grin. "If you knew the terrible things he's done, you'd be sorry too, unless you take pleasure from it. That's when you've crossed the line, you see. The line between Agent and Chaos is very thin. We all strive to be like him. He is our merciless master and Jareth was his most promising protégé."

Sarah glared hard at him and did her best to ignore the questions that were shooting through her brain. She wasn't going to listen to him. He was just trying to bait her into some kind of reaction. Sarah refused to give him that satisfaction! He wasn't about to turn her against Jareth, no matter what he said. . . .

"You've seen him, haven't you?" said Ruther, slyly. "You know what I'm saying is true. I'm sure you've seen proof of his past crimes, especially if he's gone as soft and remorseful as you say he has. Sometimes there are spots that don't come off."

"Shut up!" Sarah snapped, pulling away from him.

Ruther grinned and put up his middle and index fingers. "He's taught you magic, has he not? Well, if you wan to test and make sure, I'll let you see for yourself. Merely place these two fingers on his forehead while he sleeps and focus your power on his mind. That's how I scan the memories of those I interrogate. That way, you'll see for yourself."

"I don't have to see for myself," Sarah said through gritted teeth.

"Maybe, maybe not," said Ruther, loftily. "But you'll figure it out soon, I'm sure. We'll see just how much you love him when you figure out just what he's guilty of. You'll see then. People like him don't just change overnight. Even his feelings for you, though they drove him to defy our master, aren't really true. You'll see, dear one, you'll see."

"Go away!" Sarah shrieked. She didn't want to hear another word against Jareth. She didn't want Ruther to keep putting questions inside her head. She wasn't going to be fooled into betraying him!

Ruther merely smiled, got up, and left the room knowing that his goal had been accomplished.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"AAAAAIIIIIIEEEEEE!"

"Hold still, you warty little maggot!"

"Gerroff me! Gerroff me you lousy tub of lard!"

"WHAT! How dare you? I'm an Agent of Chaos, you maggot! Varmint! Make it nice and hot! We're going ta deep fry this maggot like there's no tomorrow!"

Vahrley had Hoggle hoisted into the air by his ankle over a large pot of boiling oil which was being tended to by a gremlin. Seeing as Hoggle (despite is deep, mutual dislike for Jareth) refused to answer a single one of Vahrley's questions, Vahrley decided to have Hoggle thoroughly cooked as punishment. Hoggle was putting up a terrified, yet valiant fight, flailing his fists and kicking his stubby, free leg.

"You let me down, ya big fatso!" Hoggle screamed in his horrified fury. "You let us go, you great overgrown elephant!"

"I AIN'T FAT, YA FILTHY LITTLE CODGER!" bellowed Vahrley. "I'M BIG BONED!"

"The only thing that's got bigger bones than you is a blue whale, you cur!" Hoggle shot back. He was surprising even himself with his display. Truth be told that oil beneath him was scaring him so much he was afraid he'd lose control of his bowels. Perhaps spending all that time with Sarah and Jareth had given him a backbone he didn't even know about.

"I'm gonna roast yer little carcass and serve it to the gremlins for breakfast!" Vahrley roared. "That oughta teach ya to say nasty things about an Agent o' Chaos!" Vahrley yanked off his glove and showed Hoggle the golden bracelet he wore underneath. "See this, ya little morsel? The Symbol of Chaos! With this I am marked as one o' Chaos's chosen beings! I got the power to do whatever I want, whenever I want and get away with it!"

Hoggle flapped his arms and struggled to get free without falling into the oil. Vahrley laughed in amusement and went over to the other end of the rope that was all that was keeping Hoggle alive at the moment. "Yer finished my little friend! Ya'll get roasted and eated and it's not gonna be a fun trip. Boilin' in oil is a _very _slow way to go and an equally _painful_ way too! Good luck in yer next life, ya . . ."

"Mm! Mm! Mm!"

"Er?"

A gremlin came running into the room. He pointed at Vahrley, then back the way he came. "Mm! Mm!" it grunted, obviously trying to get Vahrley to follow him.

"Wot be it?" Vahrley snapped. "Can wait, I'm sure it can! Can't ya see I'm a man on a mission?" he jerked his thumb at the dangling dwarf.

"Mm! Mm! Mm!"

"I just told ya that it can wait!"

"_Mm! Mm! Mmm!_"

"Oh, all right!" snapped Vahrley. He glared at the other goblin by the cauldron. "Keep it goin' but don't let him fall in with me not here! I wanna hear him squealin' in pain!"

"Mm," said the goblin, still stirring the oil.

"Alright, let's go," said Vahrley, irritably. He followed the second gremlin out of the room. As he followed the creature, Vahrley spotted some long-nosed creature in a wide hat and ragged clothes sitting in the hall. He wasn't surprised to see it. Strange specimens usually wandered in from time to time. If it was still there when he got back, he'd boil it along with the dwarf.

"Penny for the unfortunate, sir?" the creature asked, holding up a cup.

"Yer not unfortunate," said Vahrley, staring down at it with loathing. He swung his foot back and kicked the cup out of the creature's hands. "_Now_ ya are!" he added, chortling darkly.

"Mm! Mm!" cried the gremlin.

"I'm comin' I'm comin'," Vahrley said grumpily.

The gremlin guided him all the way to the main hallway, where Sarah and Hoggle had appeared through the mirror. He found there was a guest waiting for him at the end of the hall.

"Kieran? Is that you?" Vahrley said, confused.

"It is," replied Kieran. "I'm sorry for not giving you and your brother proper warning before my arrival."

"Yer just in time!" said Vahrley, cheerfully. "I got meself a dwarf I was gonna boil! Let's you follow me back into the kitchen and watch . . ."

"Is it true that you and Ruther had apprehended a mortal girl?" Kieran interrupted. "Or, more specifically, _Jareth's_ mortal girl?"

"Er? Oh! Oh, yeah, it's her alright," said Vahrley. "Ruther's with her now, messin' her up probably. Why ya ask?"

Kieran gave Vahrley a stern look and spoke the words that send a cold shiver of terror down his fellow Agent's spine.

"He's coming to take a look at her. He's coming here now.

"Chaos."

**Ying-Fa: Muse . . . won't bite . . . time . . . is limited . . . fresh out . . . of review super juice! Please oh please send me a review!**


	7. The Deathly Meeting part 1

Hoggle twisted and fought to break free of the rope that was all that was keeping him from falling into the cauldron. He couldn't remember the last time he was in a fix _quite_ as horrible as this. Even when he was dangling just above the Bog of Eternal Stench he'd had Sarah there to help him. But now he was alone, Sarah was off somewhere probably in as much of a pickle as he was, and who knew if Jareth was even aware that they were gone yet.

"Hey! Hey, you!" Hoggle said to the gremlin stirring the oil. "You know, I bet they don't pay you nearly what you deserve. Tell you what, you help me outta here, and I'll make it worth yer while!"

"Mm," said the gremlin dully.

"Ya know, I gotta nice little stash o' jewels," said Hoggle, trying to think fast. "If you let me down, I'll let ya . . . look at the jewels. Help us get outta the castle and I may even let ya hold one . . . for a few seconds."

"Mm," the gremlin repeated.

"How about I let you borrow . . . a small one . . . for a day . . . or an hour . . . what say you to that?"

"Mm."

"Um, how about you keep the small one and I let you hold a big one . . . for a whole minute!"

"Mm."

"Not talkative, are you?" Hoggle asked, grumpily. "I . . . Alright, I'll let you keep two small ones and maybe take a look at a bigger one and . . . all you have to do is to help me down. You don't have to do anything else, just let me down offa this rope and I'll see to myself from then on. What say you to that?"

"Mm."

"How about if you just pushed the cauldron a little to the left and I'll get myself down?"

"Mm."

"Well, what if . . ."

"Mm."

"How about . . ."

"Mm."

"Maybe if I . . ."

"Mm."

"I'LL INCLUDE FREE SHIPPING AND HANDLING!"

"Mm."

Hoggle groaned and looked down at the oil. "This is no good," he whimpered. "My life is over! I'm a goner! I'm done for! This is the end! All is over! All is lost! I'm gonna die! I'm gonna pass on! I'm gonna . . ."

"I'm sure everyone within a thousand miles would greatly appreciate it if you would shut up, Hedger."

Hoggle let out a cry and twisted around. Jareth was standing in the doorway, a ragged clock over one shoulder. Hoggle recognized it immediately as the disguise that Jareth had worn in the tunnels when Hoggle was guiding Sarah through the Labyrinth.

The gremlin looked up from his work and let out a muffled sound. He moved forward to charge at Jareth, but Jareth merely picked him up and dunked him into the cauldron of oil. Without a tongue, the creature's cries of pain went unheard. Jareth then reached up and untied the dangling dwarf.

"H-how did you get here?" Hoggle asked, dazed.

"This castle may appear impenetrable, but it is riddled with flaws," said Jareth, seriously. "The Agents have a network that they use to travel from one castle to another instantly. Sometimes lesser creatures can stumble upon them, but if they do they are either killed or forced to join the ranks. If you can find the networks, you can serve the Agents, as the rule goes."

"But ain't they watchin' them?" Hoggle asked.

"Not necessarily," said Jareth. "Only Agents baring the Symbol and creatures with very minimal magic can cross them. My disguise not only changes my appearance, but masks my powers, so I was able to slip through without trouble. Now, enough questions of yours and answer one of mine. Where's Sarah?"

"I don't know," Hoggle admitted. "They took her one way and me another. I ain't gotta clue where they took her. I," he gulped, "I think maybe Ruther's got her."

Jareth's insides burned. He knew Ruther's dangerous love of the female creature . . . and his tendency to ignore the word 'no'. "We have to find her," Jareth said, urgently. "Keep quite and follow me."

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Stop it! Let me go!"

Sarah was struggling hard against the clutches of Vahrley, who was holding her arms behind her back and dragging her through the castle like a rag doll. Ruther was there, too. His pretty face looked concerned and he kept running his fingers through his hair.

"Quit yer fidgetin', Princess!" Vahrley growled. "Hold still, like! There's sum-one here who wants a word."

"Hurry now, brother," said Ruther. "He'll be here any minute now. Dratted Kieran, dropping in unexpectedly and giving us this news! If he had told us ahead of time, I'd have spent more time fixing my hair."

"Kieran!" Sarah yelled, forgetting to struggle for a moment. "He's here too?"

"Yes, he is," said Ruther. "He's just announced the arrival of our master."

Sarah stopped struggling at last; her entire being was freezing over in terror. "C-Chaos? He's here?"

"He's gonna be in a minute," said Vahrley. "He's not quite as nice as we are, missy. Says he wants to meet ya, you lucky little thing. Ya might wanna be a tad more polite to him than ya've been to us. Doesn't like impoliteness, he doesn't."

Sarah's mind was reeling. Chaos was coming here to see her? This was bad, very bad. He must want to kill her. That was the only thing that made sense. If he killed her, it would punish Jareth. If he killed her, it would teach the other Agents a lesson as much as Jareth. Yes, her death would mean a lot of good things for Chaos and no good things for Jareth . . . or herself.

Just before they reached the chamber where Sarah and Hoggle had first appeared, Kieran stepped through the door to greet them. "He's arrived," he said. "Bring her."

"NO!" Sarah screamed, fighting as hard as she could to stay away from that door where Chaos was waiting for her. But Vahrley was stronger than she was and tossed bodily her through the door.

Sarah rolled into the room, tangled and dazed, her shoulder in pain where she'd hit the floor. Immediately, upon entering the room she could tell that she wasn't alone. She could feel the other person there with her in a way that was too terrifying for some to handle. It wasn't like the room was any warmer or colder than the rest of the castle. It was like all things positive and nice suddenly went negative and horrible and that which was already horrible became much worse. A feeling like dread consumed her, freezing her gut, paralyzing her. It was the feeling that you might get immediately after waking from a particularly disturbing nightmare. The feeling of knowing you are mortal and that death is a breath away.

The thing drew closer. Sarah could hear its footsteps, moving closer to her. Finally, two black boots appeared in Sarah's line of vision along with the hem of a blood red cloak. Sarah stayed completely still, unable to move if she wanted to. There was a buzzing in her ears and frightened shivers all through her skin. It was as if her entire being was telling her: _Get the hell out of here!_

"So, this is the one who brought down my Agent."

The shivers were even worse when he spoke. His voice was calm and quiet, but it had the same effect as nails on a chalkboard. A white hand with very long, black fingernails reached down and took hold of Sarah's chin. He turned her face so that she was looking at him, his grip wasn't firm but his fingers were freezing cold. Sarah's head turned obediently and, at last, she finally saw the face of the one called Chaos.

He was chalk white and gaunt, his cheeks sunken in so that his jaw and cheekbones were sharply defined. A mass of very long black hair fell everywhere, over his shoulders and in his face. He wore a very long red robe loosely over a long-sleeved black shirt. Sarah didn't look at his eyes. She didn't know if she had the strength to look in his eyes.

Chaos turned her face this way and that, examining her carefully. "This . . . is not what I expected," he said softly. "So plain. So ordinary. I can see some potential, though. Jareth has been trying to teach you to harness magic, I see. The signs are clear. That is bothersome. Pointless. Jareth has left his mark upon you, but why? What is it about you that is so much more appealing than what I had to offer? What I have given him for many years has been enough for him before. Why is it he now turns to you?"

Sarah had no voice. She couldn't speak. She was still too paralyzed, too terrified, to do anything more than stay completely still.

"I confess myself relieved," murmured Chaos. "You have nothing to do with this world. Your only tie is to Jareth. It is a relief. I thought you would be a problem, but you are not. Simple little mortal girl. You are nothing. You are useless. You are just a toy for Jareth to pass time with and to make himself feel worthwhile. When he is done with you, there will be nothing left to worry about. Nothing. Nothing."

Chaos let go of her face and it fell limply so that she was staring at the floor once again. She couldn't remember ever feeling this helpless . . . this terrible paralysis had taken her over completely and she despised the feeling. She wanted to get up and leave but her muscles just refused to work. Every last tendon was stiff and afraid to move, lest it do something to annoy Chaos.

"Not useful to me," said Chaos, quietly. "Ruther may do as he pleases with you. Perhaps if he spoils you then Jareth will come to his senses. A little punishment, I think, is what he needs. To see his prize ruined may be _just_ what he needs. She is yours, Ruther. I am done with her."

Sarah heard Chaos move away from her as someone else drew nearer. A pair of hands took hold of her shoulders and pulled her into something of a standing position. The hands then wrapped themselves securely around her middle and Sarah, still paralyzed by the presence of Chaos, did nothing to stop them.

"Interesting man, our master, is he not?" Ruther's voice murmured in her ear. "His dark powers are far beyond the dreams of man. We are the lucky ones. We found favor in his sight. You should feel lucky too, dear girl. You were in his sight and yet you still live. Lucky little thing you are! Chaos normally despises women. But I don't. On the contrary, I _adore_ them."

One of Ruther's hands reached up and took hold of Sarah's face as Chaos had and turned it towards his. Ruther smiled, his eyes sparkling with a sinister gleam of what might have been lust. "Mortal or not, I think you are a _fine_ specimen, Sarah," he said, softly. "I would just . . . love . . . to know you as Jareth does. The first woman that I ever shared with Jareth . . . hm, what a thought."

Sarah felt Ruther's lips press against hers and immediately a great and terrible shock ran through her body. The action jolted sense back into her mind and movement back into her limbs. With a furious huff, she opened her mouth and bit down as hard as she could on Ruther's lower lip. She felt her teeth break the tender skin and blood squirted into her mouth just before he pulled away, screaming in pain.

Ruther brought a hand up to his mouth, blood leaking between his fingers, and Sarah bolted. She ran as fast as she possibly could towards a door at the opposite end of the hall, away from where she had come in and where Chaos and the two other Agents were waiting. They must have been alerted by Ruther's scream, however, because they came into the room just as Sarah had flung open the other door and rushed through it, spitting Ruther's blood out of her mouth and onto the floor.

"BROTHER!" roared Vahrley. "Why, that lil' . . . .! Find that whore woman and bring 'er here! BRING 'ER HERE!"

But Sarah was already half way down the next hallway in her attempt to get as far away from the Agents and Chaos as she could. She had to find Hoggle and _get out of here!_ That was what mattered now. They just _had_ to escape . . . or they'd both die.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"She BIT me!" snarled Ruther, dabbing at his bleeding lip with a handkerchief. "That little hellcat BIT me! Hunt her down and tear her to pieces! There's no need to keep around a vicious creature like that!"

The gremlins of the Castle nodded and took off hastily as their master ordered. Vahrley stood next to his brother, trying to comfort him in his distress.

"We'll find 'er, Brother," he said. "She ain't gonna live to see another day. Chaos ordered her dead, so that's what'll happen."

"Yes," hissed Ruther, his voice sounding more slurred as his lip began to swell. "Where is Master Chaos anyway?"

"Talkin' to Kieran," Vahrley said, jabbing his thumb at the door through which their master had left. "He'll head back to the Black Mountain once that little devil wench is dead. We'll get yer revenge, Brother, just you wait and . . ."

"Why, Ruther, whatever have you done to your face? I must admit it doesn't do much for your looks."

The two brothers had been too busy brooding that they hadn't noticed someone new enter the room. They turned around in unison and their jaws dropped at once.

"JARETH!" yelled Ruther.

"JARETH!" roared Vahrley.

"Is there an echo?" Jareth asked, playfully.

"How did you get inside the castle!" Ruther cried. "How did you get here?"

"Oh, a little of this, a little of that," Jareth replied, loftily. "The Agents will be happy to know that the networks are still in perfect working condition, by the way."

"You shouldn't have come here," growled Vahrley. "Master Chaos is in the building! Once he takes a gander at yer ugly mug, he'll rip ya limb from limb!"

"Is he?" said Jareth, thoughtfully. "Well, I'll not stick around then. I've merely come to reclaim what's mine. A friend of mine, a young woman, seems to have come here by accident and I will be quite happy to get her back. Do you know where she is?"

"Oh she's here, alright," said Ruther, his voice thick with menace. "I owe my new look to that little minx of yours!" he indicated his swollen lip.

"Hm," said Jareth, calmly. "You didn't try to kiss her, did you? Because, funny thing really, she and I have this thing going on where we only kiss each other. She's not the cheating type, dear girl, and her will is strong. Any man making a move on her against her will . . . well, judging from your current state, you know what happens."

Ruther yelled in outrage and reached for his belt. From it he pulled out a long, spiked chain and brandished it like a whip. Vahrley also pulled out weapons, a short sword and a long knife.

"Don't be thick, Jareth!" roared Vahrley. "Yer not strong enough to take both of us on, not without the Symbol to protect you."

"I no longer need Chaos's power," said Jareth, moving forward and readying himself for a fight. "His power is destruction. All I need . . . is right here." He summoned a crystal and turned it into a sword, and then he braced himself as the two brothers attacked.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Sarah turned a corner and waited for a cloud of gremlins to pass by, not seeing her, and catching her breath. There was no way out of the castle. They were surrounded by freezing water and there was no way she could make it out. What was worse, she couldn't find Hoggle. She was alone and helpless and she hated it. There had to be some way out. She had to get back to the Labyrinth or she was finished.

She took deep breaths to try and return her breathing to normal. She wasn't going to give into despair. She wouldn't give up. She wouldn't cry like a damsel. This was exactly why Sarah had wanted so badly to learn magic. She wanted to be able to help herself and not wait like a fragile little princess for Jareth to come and rescue her. If Jareth did come, Chaos was here to find him. That had to be why he came in the first place. When he heard that the brothers had caught her, Sarah, then Chaos must have known that Jareth would be only a few moments away, coming for her.

Just as Sarah's breathing returned to normal and she was about to head out again, something wrapped itself just above her elbow in a sharp, very tight grip. Sarah cried out in terror and twisted around to see who it was.

It was Kieran. He had sneaked up behind her and caught her arm in one of his tree branch-like hands.

"An unsuccessful attempt," he said. "Did you really think you could escape? How foolish. Just the type of thinking I'd expect from an Abovegrounder."

"Let go!" Sarah screamed, pulling away from him. "Let me go!"

"No," snapped Kieran. "You are going back to Lord Chaos. He will see that you are destroyed, as is his punishment for Jareth."

"NO!" Sarah yelled. "I . . . won't . . . go! Please, let me go!"

"Never," said Kieran, glaring at Sarah with intense dislike, border lining on hate. "There is only so much I can do to punish the Aboveground for what they've done. They took all that is green and good in their realm and they destroyed it. It's barely alive now, and now the Underground is suffering too! They look at the progress in your world and are following your example. Trees cut down, forests dying, the air itself is getting filthier, and it's all because of what the humans started!"

"If . . . you . . . love nature . . . so much," Sarah grunted, yanking to free her arm with every other word. "Why are . . . you serving . . . a monster . . . like Chaos?"

"He promised me life," Kieran snapped back. "The continuation of my kind. One day, one of the Agents will rise and take the place of Chaos, we have all foreseen it. If it is me, then all his powers will be at my disposal. I can ensure that the damage down here is still fixed, there's still time to salvage it. Then I will punish the Aboveground, sending a plague upon it, making it realize too late that they cannot save themselves. Forest burners, animal slaughterers, devilish fools who think they can control nature . . .!"

"I _know_ you're angry," Sarah groaned, still trying to free herself. "But humans can't help what's already been done. We can't just drop everything and start being different. We've been doing these things for a long time, but we _do_ realize that this is all we have. There are plenty of people who are fighting to preserve what we have left. There are loads of people who help the rest see sense. We're _trying_!"

"Trying isn't enough," said Kieran, hotly.

"So then you plan to take matters into your own hands?" Sarah shot back. "You want to punish us and plague us for what we've done to our side of the world because _you_ see it as _progress_! You're just trying to make excuses for allying yourself with Chaos, who has to be the most destructive force in the entire Underground. And, correct me if I'm wrong, but your little plan to wipe out the human race . . . isn't that _against_ nature, itself? Wouldn't the proper thing to do, as a supporter and protector of nature, is let us make an end to ourselves by our own means?"

Kieran anger faded slowly, replaced by a look of mild surprise. He looked Sarah in the eye and his grip on her arm relaxed slightly, but was still strong enough to keep her in place.

"You . . . could never understand," he said, shaking his head. "My kind are all but dead. The rest of them just sit in their forests, reciting prayers and tending to the animals. I was the only one who took action. I was the only one who wanted to stop what was happening. I . . . Chaos has made me . . . such marvelous promises . . . I . . ."

Kieran's voice trailed away, his hand reaching up to one of his pointed ears. From under his hair, Sarah saw something gold dangling from his ear. His Symbol of Chaos in the form of a gold earring.

"Kieran . . . please," Sarah pleaded. "This isn't what you're meant to be. You love life, I can see that. Anybody can. You're scared and you're willing to fight to protect that which you love. But don't you see . . . I'm willing to do that too. For Jareth. And he's willing to do it for me. We don't have to fight. If anyone can understand us, you can. Please."

The youngest Agent of Chaos lifted his eyes and stared at her, his expression stony and unreadable.

**Ying-Fa: Sorry for the abrupt ending, but this was taking forever. If I put everything I wanted into this chapter, I would never get it finished. My apologies for the wait and the dreadful cliffie, but I am full to bursting with review super juice and will return ASAP. Reviewers are well loved and shall be rewarded on earth and in heaven! Please continue to read.**


	8. The Deathly Meeting part 2

Ruther brandished his spiked chain like a whip and it wrapped around Jareth's sword three times. Ruther pulled, trying to tear it from Jareth's grasp, but he managed to keep a firm grip on it. Jareth tried to pull it free from the chain just as Vahrley was closing in, swinging his sword and knife high so he could plunge them into Jareth's exposed side. Jareth saw the danger and stepped gracefully out of the way, avoiding the weapons and causing his sword to slip free from the chain.

Vahrley bellowed loudly and threw himself at Jareth, slashing his weapons in his rage. Jareth exchanged blows with him, keeping on eye on Ruther. The thin brother was spinning the chain like a lasso, waiting for the opportune moment. Jareth tried not to think about anything but the fight, but it was difficult. The brother's had already given him several blows to the arms and legs. He was outnumbered and they were both experienced fighters. This was going to be difficult.

"Come off it, Jareth!" yelled Ruther. "You can't fight the both of us! Together we are invincible!"

Jareth locked weapons with Vahrley and took the moment of tension to glare at Ruther. "Oh shut up!" he snapped, beads of sweat running off his face.

"Don't ya talk to my brother that way!" roared Vahrley. "Traitor!" he pulled the knife away to lash at Jareth's face, but missed. "Liar!" he stabbed at Jareth's stomach with the sword and Jareth had to block it with his sword. "Human-lover!"

"At . . . least . . . I can . . . still love," Jareth gasped, still fighting. "Won't you both . . . open . . . your eyes? Chaos is . . . using you! He's using . . . all . . . of you . . . for something . . . malicious. I can . . . feel it!"

"Oh, so now you're trying to say that your betrayal was to save us all," laughed Ruther. "You know nothing, Jareth. You never have. Chaos has given us so many things. Elongated life, youth, power beyond our dreams, it is all a gift from him."

"Yes . . . I know," Jareth growled through gritted teeth as he continued to cross blades with Vahrley. "But what . . . happens when . . . he no longer . . . needs you?"

"That day will not come," said Ruther. "Chaos is always in need of his Agents. One day, he will step down and grant the glory to us. The mission of Chaos will live forever through us. We will be called Chaos in his name."

"Why would . . . he give . . . power to you?" Jareth snarled.

"Loyalty," said Ruther. "What else could it possibly be? We have served his purpose. We have fought the good fight. We have proven ourselves worthy . . . and you, who was unfaithful, have not. You have disgraced the name of Chaos, the one who blessed you from the start."

"I'd do it again!" Jareth yelled. "Again and again, until there's nothing left!"

"Keep it up!" said Vahrley, who was starting to huff and puff with the effort to keep fighting. He was, after all, much fatter than Jareth. "See what all that preaching gets you! A lifetime of agony far worse than before."

Jareth didn't reply and kept fighting. There was no point in talking so much and he wasn't going to win with reason. In fact, he doubted he would win if he kept playing the good guy here. He had to think like the villain he truly was, the one who earned the title of Agent of Chaos.

At once, his thoughts started to slow and the real world seemed to pause while he quickly analyzed his situation. Ruther was barely attacking, but staying in the background of the fight and waiting for an opportunity to strike. He was just there to make it easier for his brother to run him, Jareth, through with his weapons. Vahrley was a capable fighter, yes, but his weight slowed him down. That's why they made such a good team. If he could get rid of just one of them . . . but he couldn't. He didn't dare turn his back on Vahrley and if he found a chance to land a killing blow on Vahrley then Ruther would step in and strike.

"Eyes up front!" Vahrley bellowed, hammering down on Jareth's sword with his while jabbing his knife wherever it seemed most possible to hit flesh. Jareth stepped backward, breathing heavily, but the brother's weren't about to give him a chance to rest.

Ruther lashed out with his chain yet again and caught Jareth around the shin. Jareth resisted the urge to cry out as the spikes on the chain sank into his flesh, blood leaking out of the holes. With nowhere to go, Vahrley came in toward him like a raging bull, waving his weapons in triumph.

"Chop you!" Vahrley yelled gleefully. "I'm gonna chop you up! Chop up the traitor! Chop, chop, chop!"

A light clicked on inside Jareth's head as an idea struck him. He reached down and took hold of the chain with his hand and instead of pulling away from Ruther, he rushed in toward him. Vahrley's weapons came down at where he was a second ago and just nicked his boot, but missing everything vital. Ruther was taken aback by Jareth's sudden charge, but he was ready. As Jareth lunged at him and tried to stab at him, he moved away with grace, but not without obtaining a large, red slash across his cheek.

"NO!" screamed Ruther. "MY FACE! MY FACE! MY BEAUTIFUL FACE!"

Ruther's anguish took just enough time for Jareth to free himself from the chain and move out of the way of Vahrley, who was trying to avenge his brother. Jareth knew what to do now. He knew what he had to do to separate the brothers forever. If Ruther would attack with the chain again . . .

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Ruther shrieked, pushing his brother out of the way. "HE WILL DIE BY _MY_ HAND FOR THIS! I WILL MAKE HIM PAY! I WILL KILL HIM!"

_Yes_, Jareth thought. He leaned over slightly, still keeping his head straight. He wanted to appear weak, though he was exhausted in truth, but he needed Ruther to think this was already over. An easy win from here on. Vahrley seemed rather glad at the exchange. He hunched over and tried to catch his breath, wiping sweat of his bulbous brow.

"You . . . have irked us for the last time, Jareth!" Ruther hissed, spinning the chain to emphasis the end. "Time . . . to . . . die!"

The chain came down and Jareth was ready. He stepped out of the way and threw a punch into Ruther's already bitten and sliced face. He roared in agony and, as Jareth had hoped, let go of the chain. The chain was Jareth's now. Knowing he only had seconds before Vahrley caught his breath and was ready to attack again, Jareth lashed out with the chain and it caught Vahrley's chubby sword arm.

With all the strength he had left in him, Jareth pulled the fat Agent forward, his sword flying out under Jareth's control. Vahrley had no balance in which to regain himself, he was too tired and taken by surprise. He had not choice but to go where the chain around his arm was directing him. Unfortunately for him, the chain guided his sword forward so that it went right where Jareth wanted, and Vahrley watched as his own sword sank deeply into the back of his own brother.

"RUTHER!"

Vahrley's shout came too late. The sword had already sunk past Ruther's spine, into his guts, and came shooting out his chest. The damage was done. Vahrley never noticed when Jareth let go of the chain. All eyes were fixed on Ruther. His head was thrown completely back, his eyes and mouth wide with shock. Then, without the slightest change in emotion, his knees gave out and he was dead before he hit the ground.

"Ruther! Brother! NOOOOOO!"

As Vahrley hoisted himself to his feet and ran to his brother's side, Jareth sank to his hands and knees. His exhaustion had caught up with him as well as the pain from the cuts and marks all over his body. Vahrley took his brother's corpse in his arms and looked into his lifeless eyes.

"Ruther! Ruther! Oh, my dear brother! This can't be!"

Jareth fought against the pain in his body and tried to get to his feet. The fight had taken a lot out of him, but he wasn't finished yet. Any minute now, Vahrley would remember that he was there and would attack again. But his limbs were heavy and aching and wouldn't support him. Still on his hands and knees, he reached for his sword, knowing that Vahrley was only second away from coming to his senses.

At the sound of movement, Vahrley did just that. He twisted his head around and saw Jareth reaching for his weapon. He let out a howl like a wounded animal and hurled himself a Jareth. They collided painfully and Vahrley rolled on top of Jareth, his ham-like fists wrapped tightly around Jareth's throat.

"You . . . killed . . . my . . . brother," Vahrley hissed, squeezing and squeezing Jareth's windpipe with each word. "You . . . killed . . . him! I'll . . . kill . . . you! I'LL KILL YOU!"

There was no possible way to move the massive man off of him. His hands gripped uselessly at Vahrley's fat wrists, trying in vain to pry them off. Lights started popping into his vision as air refused to reach his brain. He could feel color flooding into his face. He had no means to stop what was happening. He was going to die like this. Strangled by a vengeful fat man, alone in the Castle Beneath the Frozen Lake.

He was never going to see Sarah again.

As the thought ran through his mind, Jareth suddenly heard a noise that was something different besides the pumping of blood in his ears. A scraping sound of metal against the polished floor. Jareth used all his energy to look at what it was. Vahrley's knife was resting right next to his head. He had dropped it when Ruther died and forgotten all about it. Jareth immediately took his hand off Vahrley's wrist and reached for it. Vahrley either didn't notice or mistook it for a dying action. In fact, he didn't notice the knife at all until Jareth brought it upward in a finishing cut.

The blade of the knife went right across Vahrley's fleshy throat, slicing open the jugular. Vahrley finally took his hands off Jareth and reached them up to his own throat, trying to staunch the flow of blood, but it was completely useless. There was no stopping what was happening now. Jareth reached up and took a fist full of Vahrley's hair and pulled him off. Vahrley collapsed to the floor, bleeding, and Jareth crawled out of reach as he gasped for air.

Jareth flopped onto the ground, his energy gone. He lay there for a moment and listened to Vahrley dying. Why didn't the gurgling cries bother him? Why wasn't he more disturbed by the fact that he'd just killed two people? It was just how he'd felt when Quintus died by his hand. It wasn't right.

Just as Vahrley released his last breath, Jareth felt a pair of hands take hold of his shirt. If they were enemy hands, he was done for. He had no energy to fight to protect himself.

"Jareth! Jareth! Are you alright?"

The hands belonged to Sarah. She had come in sometime during the battle and had rushed to help him when she knew it was safe. Jareth opened his eyes to look up at her. Her lovely face was pale and her eyes were wide in fear. He knew he must look terrible. He was cut all over and covered in Vahrley's blood that had spilled all over him when he'd slit his throat. He didn't blame her. No one could.

Not saying anything, he reached up and touched her cheek lightly. He was so glad she was alright. So glad that they hadn't done anything to harm her. He had been so worried when he discovered her missing and tracked her down to this forsaken place. Sarah took hold of his hand with her own and gave him a weak smile. She was always comforting like that.

"Jareth. You have become a nuisance."

The icy voice broke the silence like a gunshot. Sarah's eyes widened with fear and Jareth forced himself into a sitting position. Chaos had entered the room sometime after Sarah had and was now looking at the pair of them in a foreboding silence.

Jareth looked over at his old master, suddenly filled with a buzzing feeling all through him. It was his emergency back-up power telling him that he should leave right now. But he wasn't afraid for himself. It was about protecting Sarah now.

"Chaos," Jareth said, weakly.

Chaos looked around at the two dead Agents. No sadness was present in his evil eyes. "Jareth," he said again. "Why do you do this? You keep murdering my Agents. If you will no longer see them as your companions, then you can at least regard them as my personal property. Don't you remember how greatly I dislike it when people do things like this? When they touch what's mine?"

"They were the ones . . . who made it a battle," Jareth said, with a shrug.

"No, you did," said Chaos, stepping forward. "You were the one to turn his back on me. You started this. You ignited this . . . _wrath_ . . . in me. I . . . don't like . . . it when my toys . . . _REFUSE TO OBEY ME!_"

Chaos waved his arms through the air and there was a violent, disgusting ripping noise. Jareth's eyes snapped to Sarah, afraid that Chaos had done something to her. She was unharmed, however, and staring at him as though afraid of the same thing he was, only in reverse. But then Jareth cased his eyes around and his stomach convulsed in disgust.

Vahrley and Ruther's bodies were suddenly stripped of their skin.

"OH!" Sarah cried, covering her mouth with both hands in horror.

"Look what you made me do," said Chaos. The skin of the two dead Agents flew upward towards Chaos, who opened his mouth and swallowed them as easily as if he was inhaling. After a moment, he spat into his hand, and two Symbols of Chaos sat in his palm. "All they are good for is replenishment now," said Chaos in mock sadness. "Just like Quintus. Do you plan on murdering all my Agents?"

"Yes," snarled Jareth. "I will end you! I must!"

"Not," said Chaos, his eyes widening to an enormous size. "Unless . . . I end you . . . first."

It was too much for Sarah. She reached into her pocket and pulled out an acorn, reached upward and smashed it on the ground between hear and Jareth. Jareth could feel them vanishing, taking them away from the horrible place, opening the network through which the Agents could get to where they wanted.

The room was vanishing, the colors blurring together. Just before all was lost, Jareth cast one last glance at Chaos. His old master stepped forward, intending to stop them, no doubt. But he jerked to a stop and his throat convulsed. Then, his lips opened ever so lightly and Jareth could have sworn he saw something dark dribble out from Chaos's lips before they vanished into nothingness.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

_Twenty minutes earlier_

_"Just remember, human," snapped Kieran, viciously. "I am not your ally! I am still an Agent of Chaos and do not intend on betrayal. But, I will let you live to fight another day."_

_"I understand," said Sarah, taking the acorn from him. "What does it do?"_

_"It transports you through the network that Jareth used to track you here," said Kieran. "It will take you to a safe house within my domain. I will give you twelve hours to get out. You are right about one thing, human. I respect life. I am unwilling to murder as my fellow Agents are. So I will give you this one chance to escape."_

_"Thank you," said Sarah, gratefully._

_"Don't thank me," said Kieran, sharply. "My anger against the human race is not satisfied. But, you deserve a chance. Of all the things in this world to fight for, love is one of them. I have said my piece. Now go before I change my mind."_

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

When Jareth came to, he was lying down in a soft bed in an unfamiliar room. His shoulder was stinging. He turned his head and saw that Sarah had removed his shirt and was dabbing at his wounds.

"Sarah," he breathed. "Where are we?"

"In a cottage in the Dark Woods," Sarah told him.

"How did we get here?"

"Kieran gave me an acorn that brought us here. He gave one to Hoggle too. He didn't mind helping Hoggle, he likes creatures. It was convincing him to help me that was the trouble."

"But how . . .?"

"Sarah!"

Hoggle stepped into view, carrying bandages. "Ah!" he said, noticing Jareth. "Yer Majesty! Yer awake. That's good."

Jareth put his head back down and grinned at Hoggle. "Good to see you got out as well, Haggis."

"Yes," said Hoggle. "Kieran was willin' ta help _me_ get away. _He_ respects creatures, y'know. Don't go bossin' them around like someone I know."

"Hoggle," Sarah said. "Just because he's hurt now doesn't mean he won't recover and come after you later."

"Oh, er . . ."

"Just be gone, Hackle, and let me talk with Sarah."

"Yeah, yeah," said Hoggle, dropping off the bandages and hobbling away.

"How did you convince Kieran to help you?" Jareth asked once they were alone.

Sarah shrugged. "Pure luck. He's not on our side though. He only gave us this place to stay for twelve hours. Do you think you'll be on your feet by then?"

"I should," Jareth replied.

"That's good," Sarah said, then she reached up and touched his forehead with her hands. "It's alright for now, Jareth. We're safe here."

Jareth lifted his eyes to the ceiling. He could no longer feel the presence of Chaos. He was still far away in the brothers' castle. A dark chill went into his body as he remembered Chaos's face just before he left. Something strange was going on. Kieran had allowed them to escape. Chaos had left Sarah alive for Ruther to deal with, which was unusual for him. He is investing a great deal in the Agents, recently. The Agents all seemed to be under the impression that Chaos was planning something, something that would give them all great power. This was troubling him. He was worried that whatever he was planning may harm Sarah, and himself.

But Sarah was right. Now it was time to rest. Now they were safe.

**Ying-Fa: Sorry to keep you waiting, fight scenes are hard. Thank you everyone who reviewed for the last chapter. Urg, life is getting hectic. Isn't summer supposed to be the RELAXING time of year? Well, please leave your reivews and I shall post the next chapter without hesitation.**


	9. The Memories of Evil

**Ying-Fa: Good moring everyone. I have been looking forward to posting again as much as you have. Life's been all work and too much exhaustion for play. Well here's the next chapter.**

Kieran paced through his castle, feeling anxious. Not far from the entrance to the Woods, he was keeping the traitor and human lover in a sanctuary. If Chaos were to discover this, it would be the end of him. Still, he was surprised at how little anger he felt at the knowledge that a human was in his forest. The girl had pled her case most convincingly in the brothers' castle. Such a strange girl, that one had been. Perhaps that understanding and charm was the reason Jareth was so infatuated with her.

There was a rustling in the air. His trees were speaking to him. They felt his confusion and distress and were concerned for him. Kieran responded to them, sending them comforting thoughts. The green-eyed girl had understood the way of nature. She was more concerned for her lover and her dwarf friend then she was herself. That kind of behavior was not supposed to exist in the human world. Yet, she portrayed it passionately. He was confused, his thoughts a mess. He'd been serving Chaos the least amount of time than most of the others, but still long enough to have forgotten what life without his power was like. That forgetfulness was common amongst the Agents. To forget all that you once were and embrace what he says you are to be, that his the way of an Agent of Chaos.

"Well, well, Kieran. You're looking awful pensive today."

Kieran gasped and turned around. "Zane!" he roared. "How did you get in here? The networks connecting the castles have been severed since Jareth infiltrated the Castle Beneath the Frozen Lake!"

"Oh, I was just on my way getting rid of the one that connected me to you, that's all," said Zane, his silver tooth flashing as he spoke. "Chaos asked me if I could . . . have a teensy little chat with you."

"I have already spoken to Lord Chaos," snapped Kieran. "All is well."

"Really?" said Zane, with a grin. "Is that what you thought? Well, when I spoke to him, I didn't think all was well at all. You see, when the traitor and his girlfriend vanished from the castle, we tried to find out how they were able to disappear from beneath Chaos's very nose."

Kieran's heartbeat quickened and he resisted the urge to gulp. "Jareth must have come up with a few tricks since he betrayed us, that's all," he said in an attempt to be casual.

"No," said Zane. "No, no, I don't think that's what happened at all. 'Cause, you see, when I was looking around the spot where they disappeared . . . I found this."

Zane reached into his pocket and pulled out the remains of an acorn shell. Kieran stared at it in horror.

"Ain't this one of yours?" Zane asked, his grin widening.

"No," said Kieran, backing away. "No!"

"You helped them to escape, didn't you?" Zane asked, advancing to keep the distance between them the same.

"No!" Kieran insisted. "I would never! I hate what Jareth has done to us! I hate humans! I would never . . ."

"Treelings are such abysmal liars," said Zane, cleverly. "That's why we come, you see."

"We?"

Kieran suddenly backed up into something solid. He spun around and found himself face-to-face with Saturnin, the final remaining Agent of Chaos.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Sarah glanced outside. It was getting dark. As soon as Jareth woke up they would have to leave at once. She didn't know how long Kieran's hospitality would last past the twelve hours he'd promised her. She could hear Hoggle snoring in the next room and she was sitting beside Jareth's bed, staring out the window.

The day's events were buzzing through her mind to swiftly for her to keep track of. The brothers catching her, Ruther coming on to her, her brief meeting with Chaos, Jareth's fight, it was all flashing through her head and making sleep impossible. The one thing she wanted most to get out of her mind is what Ruther had said about Jareth.

"_Millions have gone into that place . . . nobody came back out . . . They met their deaths in the twists and turns, dying of starvation, falling pray to his tricks . . . he could hear their screams echoing up to his palace . . . he ignored them entirely._"

Sarah shook her head violently. She wouldn't be swayed into anything. Ruther was just trying to make her think twice about Jareth. He was hoping she'd turn her back on him. But she wouldn't do it! She loved and trusted Jareth.

Her thoughts were disrupted by a faint moan. Sarah's head snapped over to where Jareth lay sleeping. He was having a nightmare again. His brow was furrowed and he was turning his head this way and that, trying to shake off the dream. Sarah's chest tightened. It had to be another dream about his past, when he was still working for Chaos.

A terrible curiosity gripped Sarah. She could look into his mind and see what he was dreaming. She knew she could. Ruther had told her what to do. If she looked into his memories, she could see what he'd done for herself. Then she could know what had happened and Jareth wouldn't have to hide it from her anymore. His past was the only secret between them now. If she could have a look . . .

Almost as if her body was driving itself, Sarah stood and approached the sleeping King. Her mind was still two steps behind, still contemplating the wisdom of what she was about to do. Sarah reached forward and concentrated her magic on her first two fingers of her right hand. The mist that was the weak, undeveloped form of her magic gathered there over her fingers. Before she could change her mind, Sarah reached forward and touched the fingers to Jareth's temple. In an instant, her vision clouded over and everything faded to black . . .

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

_Flames were exploding out the windows and roof of a small house, lighting the entire place up in a matter of seconds. It was caving in on itself, crashing down, unable to stand any longer. Smoke rose up in cloudy pillars, up into the starry night sky, signaling to all that the house was finished, consumed by heat. In the tall grass that surrounded the house, a young man lay on his stomach. He was covered in ash and minor burns. He had obviously just escaped a fiery death. As he moved into a sitting position, he held his hand over his left eye, which was pouring blood._

_"M-mo. . .ther," he coughed. "Father . . . brothers . . ."_

_Nobody was there to answer his call. He was alone, the only one to escape the blaze in time. At least, it _seemed_ he was alone . . ._

_"You have met a terrible fate, have you not?"_

_The young man turned around, still keeping his hand over his injured eye. Behind him, a figure rose from the shadows, dark and terrible. It was Chaos._

_"The only one to escape in time," Chaos said, slowly. "You are quite strong, are you not? That kind of strength I could make use of."_

_The young man blinked is good eye in confusion and backed away._

_"Come with me," said Chaos, extending a hand. "And I will make it so you never remember this pain. I will make pain your alley. You will become a solider of the wicked and reap the benefits of the darkness. Or you can stay here and rot. The choice is yours."_

_The young man lowered his head. He turned back to the fire and his lips tightened. Then he tentatively reached forward and grasped the hand of Chaos._

_/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/_

_Chaos sat in a black marble throne as his seven Agents surrounded him, drinking from bejeweled goblets and sitting lazily in decorated chairs surrounding the throne. The Goblin King sat between Zane and Quintus to the left of Chaos. One leg was swung over the armrest in his dreamily lazy fashion._

_"Bring forth the offender," said Chaos._

_The doors at the end of the throne room opened and a man stumbled into the room, his wrists and ankles chained. He had long, blonde hair and pale blue eyes and might have been very handsome if he didn't look so terrified._

_"So you are the one who tried to lead an attack on my castle, are you?" said Chaos, in that terrible calm that made your fingers twitch and hair stand on end._

_The man on the floor closed his eyes and grit his teeth, and then he glared back up at Chaos will the little courage he could muster._

_"Yes! It was me! I was the one brave enough to stand up against you and your seven henchmen!"_

_"I know that stench," said Ruther, laughing. "You're a Maelliu, aren't you? That Fae clan was supposed to have died out."_

_"No thanks to you, villains!" shrieked the man. "I am the last! Once I am gone, _then_ my clan will be extinct! Chaos ravaged our village, poisoned our waters, slaughtered our men, and defiled our women . . ."_

_"And they were quite the feisty batch, if I remember correctly," said Ruther, winking and nudging his brother as they laughed. "Why, only Saturnin, Kieran, and Jareth were the only ones who kept to the killing, am I correct? You missed out, friends."_

_Jareth sniffed. "I find such things unappealing."_

_"I have no use for other men's women," snapped Kieran._

_Saturnin sat there in silence, his eyes fixed on_

_"I came here to avenge them!" the man wailed._

_"And you did such a good job," said Quintus. "Look at you. You successfully invaded the throne room of the Great and Mighty Chaos. Shame that you didn't remember your weapon."_

_"You are to be made an example of," said Chaos. "You will join the rest of your clan in death, fine fellow. Give them my regards."_

_Chaos pointed his finger at the man. He screamed and writhed and his neck began to stretch. It stretched too far to be natural. The skin was straining, the bones of the neck cracking . . ._

_Jareth took off his glove and examined his nails, bored and uncaring, as the man's head came off with a loud ripping sound._

_/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/_

_"Please! Please I beg of you!"_

_Jareth was standing outside the Labyrinth, with a woman kneeling at his feet. She had long brown hair and pointed ears and almond shaped eyes. She was a nymph. Jareth was staring down at her coldly._

_"I have already told you," he said, harshly. "Your fiancé has thirteen hours to solve the Labyrinth. If he cannot do such a simple thing, then he wasn't worth marrying in the first place."_

_"But nobody has ever solved the Labyrinth before!" the nymph protested. "I fear he will not survive! You must have mercy upon him! Let him come back out! You can tell Chaos that he won, you . . ."_

_"You think Chaos cannot tell the difference between the truth and a lie?" said Jareth, mockingly. "I value my skin, woman, unlike your beau. He should have known better than to have insulted the name of Chaos."_

_"Oh please release him! You must!"_

_"I must, eh? Why _must_ I do anything? Don't tell me you have some kind of leverage to use that can save him? Some kind of collateral at your disposal?"_

_The nymph lowered her gaze and bit her lip. Then she swallowed and lifted her chin bravely._

_"I . . . don't have anything," she said. "All that I own is myself . . . and I am willing to give it to you. You can have me. I subject myself to your will. For as long as I live, I will be yours. Do with me as you please." She ended her speech with a short huff and waited for his answer with a brave look on her face._

_That look, however, did not last long. Jareth's face stretched into a sneer and he gazed down at the nymph with disgust._

_"That's all you're offering? Your pitiful self? What kind of shallow man-whore do you take me for?"_

_The nymph gasped._

_"What would I possibly want with such a disgraceful woman at my side?" Jareth hissed. "An ugly little thing like you who throws herself to the winds and wiles of man? It is a marvel that you got even one person to accept you. Your lover will remain in the Labyrinth, as ordered by Lord Chaos. If he is clever enough, he will survive to come back out again. Don't see why he would want to, however. The only thing he has to come back to is a fiancée who is ready to throw herself at just any man the moment his back is turned. You make me sick." These last words were said with all the venom he possessed._

_Jareth spun around and disappeared, heading back for his cozy castle, leaving the poor nymph on the ground, tearing her hair and screaming in misery._

_/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/_

_"You're not supposed to be here."_

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Sarah returned to the present so suddenly it was like someone had cracked a whip in front of her. She blinked several times, dazed and confused, wondering what had happened. After a moment, she realized that someone had a gentle grip on her wrist, breaking the contact.

"It is not polite to look into the memories of another without informed consent, Sarah."

Jareth was awake. It was his hand that was holding onto hers, releasing her fingers from his temple and breaking the connection.

"J-Jareth!" Sarah gasped, confused and a little afraid. But Jareth did not look angry. His face mirrored only remorse.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that," he said softly, sitting up.

Sarah lowered her eyes. It was so difficult to believe that the man she had seen, the cold and thoughtless monster, was the same man in front of her. It was alarming, as though two different people lived in one body.

"Jareth, I . . . I'm sorry," she said, awkwardly. "I shouldn't have . . . I just . . . I was . . ."

"I don't blame you," said Jareth, heavily. "It's never a good idea to keep secrets from you, Sarah, and I didn't like doing it. Still, I just wish that my past self could have been revealed to you in a gentler manner. Rather ugly, wasn't he?"

Sarah met his eyes again and Jareth gave her a depressed sort of smile. But the awkward moment came to an abrupt halt. A very loud, groaning sound cracked the silence alarmingly. There was a flurrying sound above them, like the leaves of the trees were quivering in a high wind. Sarah gasped and stood up, fearing that Kieran's welcome had ended and he'd sent something to attack them.

"What's going on?" she asked Jareth, thinking that if it was an attack, Jareth would figure it out.

But Jareth didn't seem to think it was an attack. His eyes widened it a fear that wasn't the kind one would experience while under fire. "Wake up the dwarf, now!" Jareth told her, speaking above the groaning.

Sarah nodded and hurried into the next room, but Hoggle was already awake. "Sarah! What's goin' on?" he asked. "What's that noise?"

"I don't know," Sarah admitted, leading him out of the cottage with Jareth right behind them. Stepping outside, they found the noise was coming from the trees. Their thick bark was darkening to black and the leaves were shriveling and starting to fall off their branches. It was as if fall had come in record time.

"Are they after us?" Hoggle asked.

"No," said Jareth. "I think . . . if I'm right . . . Come here, both of you."

Sarah and Hoggle rushed to Jareth's side as he summoned a crystal. In an blink they were vanishing again and when they reappeared they were in the very heart of the forest. Before them stood what could only be described as a castle tree-house. Kieran's palace was build up atop the trees, supported by the thick trunks. The thick branches seemed to be sinking into the walls as if they were built around them so the trees wouldn't be harmed. The mighty double doors were ajar.

"Oh no," murmured Jareth. A rope ladder reached up to the doors and Jareth climbed up it at once, Sarah and Hoggle right behind him. Once they'd reached the top, Jareth threw the doors open completely and hurried inside.

"No," Jareth groaned once he entered the hall. "No. _Kieran._"

"What . . .?" Sarah began, but a second later she saw what was wrong and clapped her hands to her mouth in horror.

Kieran stood in the very center of the hall, his entire body thrown completely backward into a perfect arch and through his stomach was a long spear, running straight through him and pinning him to the ground. He was clearly dead.

"I can't believe it," Jareth snarled angrily. "Has it truly reached this point! Has he gone so low?"

"Wh-what do you mean?" Sarah asked.

"They must have figured out that he had a hand in helping us escape," said Jareth, hotly. "And now they've killed him."

"But why?" Sarah said, unable to grasp what had happened. "He knew we were still in his forest. He could have sold us out. Why didn't he just tell them?"

"I'm betting they didn't give him a chance," hissed Jareth. "My betrayal and my successes afterward must have a greater affect on them than I thought. They didn't want him going down the same path I did. And now this forest is finished."

"What do you mean?" Hoggle inquired timidly.

"This forest was planted and maintained by him," Jareth said, pointing to Kieran's corpse. "His treeling powers were what kept it going all these years. Without his power and protecting, this entire forest will die. It's already dying, from what we saw. In a matter of days, this whole place will be nothing by a clump of dead trees and the creatures that live here will be without their living environment. They will all have to go elsewhere, if they don't die as well. This whole forest is doomed."

Sarah suddenly felt sick. How horrible . . .

Jareth tore his eyes away from Kieran's body and turned back towards the entrance. "Come," he said, much more quietly. "Let's go. It's not safe to stay here too long."

"But shouldn't we . . ." Sarah began, pointing at Kieran. But Jareth shook his head and stopped her.

"There is nothing we can do for him now. We have to leave. Let's head back to the Labyrinth."

Jareth marched out the door, his expression was that of refined composure. Sarah didn't feel it a good omen to leave Kieran like that, his body stuck in that terrible position, but Hoggle took her hand in both of his.

"Jareth's right," he said. "Ain't nothin' more we can do here. We gotta go."

Resigned, Sarah gave Kieran one last look before she turned and left the castle with the others.


	10. The Confession and the Plot

"You might as well ask."

Sarah looked up from the book she was reading about maintaining magic that one of the goblins had given her ("Spell Casting For Dummies") and looked around where Jareth was sitting on the bed at the other end of their room from the armchair where she sat. "Excuse me?" she said, perplexed.

Jareth gave a lazy grin. "You have been longing to ask me about the memories you took a glance at the other day," he said. "And don't hide it, dear, I can tell when you're keeping things to yourself."

Sarah chewed the corner of her lip guiltily. "Am I that obvious?"

"Yes, love, you are," said Jareth. "Now ask."

Looking awkwardly at her fingernails, Sarah sighed. She didn't really want to talk too much about the terrible memories she'd seen in Jareth's mind. It was so shocking to believe that the heartless Agent of Chaos she'd seen there was the same man before her. But Jareth was right. If she didn't just ask and talk to him about it, it would only weigh down on her mind and force her to make her own conclusions. It was better to just talk about it and get it over with.

"Fine," she said. "It's just . . . you were so different then, even more than when we first met when I was still a kid. I guess I just . . . can't see how you could be both those people and the person you are now all at once."

Jareth took a deep breath through his nose. "It's difficult to believe that I was once all those people myself," he said. "But as to what changed me so much was . . . well, you."

"What did I do?" Sarah asked.

"I found you," said Jareth, lifting his eyes reminiscently. "I grew tired of the Underground when I knew full well that there was another world within reach. The other Agents couldn't be bothered with it, but I wanted to see it for myself. I wanted to know what kind of powers it had in store. Perhaps I thought that if I could harness any power the Aboveground had to offer, I would be even more in Chaos's favor.

"Well, regardless, I came upon your world and if power really was what I was looking for then I was severely disappointed. Instead I came upon your hometown and, by happenstance or fate, my eyes fell upon you. You'd already come across Arthur Finchly's book and had already taken to reciting the entire story. Perhaps it was the mention of my own name that caused me to glance around and actually see you. It was there, of everywhere else in all the world that I found the power I was looking for."

"What kind of power could I have had?" Sarah asked, confused. "I didn't have any kind of power then. I was just a kid."

"You did," Jareth insisted. "You had the kind of power that I had never seen before, or else could not remember seeing. The power that most children have, at that time, is the one that you possessed most strongly. The strength that comes from imagination, the wisdom that comes from innocence, the invincibility of a pure heart, you possessed all these things. The power that you had then, and still possess now, is the power of light.

"Now, Chaos would never allow his Agents to behold the light. He found it a nuisance at best and a threat at worst. Perhaps he was afraid that it would distract us. As far as we were concerned the only power worth having was the power of Chaos, the power of darkness. For the longest time I lived in that darkness, thriving on it and living by its demands. But Chaos either didn't know or had forgotten that to someone who lived in the shadows so long as I had, the light can be the most tempting thing.

"When I saw you, who overflowed with that radiant light, I . . . coveted it. I wanted it for my own. I wanted to see that power become mine and mine alone. I wasn't going to share it with Chaos or the other Agents. This was going to be something that only I had. That I would keep greedily to myself. I wanted to be the only one blessed by the power of light.

"But how was I to acquire it? I couldn't just steal you away. There are very strict, inter-universal rules that prevent that kind of thing. You had to come to me of your own accord. Chaos had no control over your life either, since you were a creature born of the Aboveground. So, I decided to merely observe you and wait for the time for the when _you_ would call for _me_. You already knew me thanks to Carl's father's book, I thought it would only be a matter of time before you would actually try and see if wishing things away would actually work.

"And you did."

Sarah had been listening quietly as he spoke all this time. When he paused, she lowered her head and bit her lip uncomfortably. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer to the question she was about to ask, but she needed to know anyway. It was something they had to get out of the way if they were to continue working together like this. She had to know as much about his dark past as possible.

"Jareth," she asked after a moment. "What would you have done with me . . . if I didn't beat the Labyrinth?"

Jareth gave her a sideways glance then sighed. "I would have offered you a second bargain," he said. "I would have given you a choice, I could send you home now and you would never see your brother again, or you could take his place. I was confident that you would choose the latter. You had, after all, done a great deal to save him and correct your mistake. I was sure you would rather stay as my prisoner and set your brother free, and I was correct, was I not?"

Sarah nodded sheepishly. If she had been given that offer, she was sure she would have offered to stay in exchange for Toby's freedom as well. "What would have happened then?" she asked. "If I had stayed, what would have happened to me then?"

This question was by far the one that Jareth took the longest to answer. He closed his eyes and breathed quietly for several long seconds. Sarah's insides were turning around uncomfortably within her. She waited for several minutes of silence and was about to remind him of the question when he finally spoke again.

"I would have taken you to a tower room in the castle and locked you inside," Jareth said, his eyes still closed. "And there I would have kept you as a secret treasure for who knows how long. Anything you asked for, I would make sure it was bestowed upon you, but I would never have granted your freedom. You would belong to me, my own personal source of light. I would have kept you that way, an object to be closely guarded, forever.

"But now I know that that would have been the worst mistake I could have possibly made."

Sarah blinked and looked over at him again. Jareth's eyes were open again, but he was glaring down at the floor, his face twisted with self loathing.

"By keeping you that way I would have destroyed all that which I admired about you. I would have smothered your light so that it was extinguished. Light isn't something that can be kept locked up like that. You needed freedom, not possessions and dreams and whatever else I could have granted you. I lived in darkness so long, I had no idea how the light is to be treated and now I know that, at that time, I was unworthy to have it for myself. If I kept you that way, you would be reduced to a shadow of a person. All that makes you who you are would have been lost, smothered, and crushed out of you by my desperate embrace.

"It's only now that I know the truth. The light can defeat the darkness but only if the one who wields it does not lose sight of it. The power of the dark is a cancer. It can eat away at the light until the light is no more. Light only loses its power if it is neglected. It cannot reside somewhere that is unfit for it. I fear that if my plans then had fallen through, I would have noticed that your power was gone and would have gotten rid of you as well. It's just such . . . a terrible thought."

Jareth smiled mirthlessly and lowered his gaze. "I . . . am quite terrible, am I not?"

"No," said Sarah quickly. She got up from her seat and moved over to sit next to him on his bed. "You're not. Back then you were just confused. You didn't know how to treat someone like me. You were so used to hurting others and using Chaos's power for evil that you no longer knew what to do."

"I could have destroyed you," Jareth reminded her.

"But you didn't," Sarah said. "I got out. I won and you had to tear yourself into pieces to avoid Chaos's punishment. Then I brought you back and now you're doing all you can to fight him. You're not that person anymore. You've learned that which you need to know."

Jareth grinned and slumped back so that he was lying completely down on the bed. "But the person I was is not entirely gone," he said softly. "There are times when . . . I still think as Chaos had taught me to. True, the process of Shattering myself did something good for me. While my heart was connected to yours, it started to understand and embrace your own natural light. It is only unfortunate that it had to cause you so much pain and grief, but I like to think it was something we both needed. My heart was alone and vulnerable to the light. It learned of it and longed to embrace it. Now that I am reformed, I now know of it. I remember what it was like to possess that beautiful power that I so coveted."

"You're your own person now," Sarah reminded him. "After everything you've done so far to fight against Chaos, you have earned the right to call yourself your own. You have the power of light in you now. I can see it. You're not the person you were then, not anymore." She moved lower so that she was lying next to him.

Jareth shifted to face her and smiled at her. "So you forgive who I was?" he asked.

"Of course," she said. "I defeated the Goblin King and the Agent of Chaos, who stole my brother and tried to lock me away. Now, I want to work beside and help Jareth, the man who saved me and loved me always. The person you were is no more. There's no need to worry about him."

Jareth blinked slowly and his smile suddenly became even more sinister. "Well," he said, moving in toward her. "I'm glad _that_ is out of the way." He then caught her in a heated kiss. Sarah sighed in delight as he rolled over to cover her, as his hands wandered, as she let him have complete control . . .

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Zane gnawed on his death stick, moistening it with his tongue then chomping down on it with his teeth. He was currently sitting in his "office" in his castle. He liked it here as it was the only room where he could sit and think for long periods of time without being disturbed. He'd been feeling uneasy since he and Saturnin finished off the traitor Kieran. He realized now that there was little time. Chaos's master plan was about to be revealed and now only two Agents remained.

Jareth's betrayal had moved Chaos's plans into action sooner than Zane had suspected. He'd thought he'd have more time. More time to forge a plan to keep himself safe. Still, Chaos's had ordered Kieran's death and disobedience wouldn't help his situation one bit. But the time was wearing down. The Agents were dying out, one by one. Was it already too late? Was he doomed to face the same fates as Quintus, Kieran, Vahrley and Ruther?

Zane growled to himself. There was no way he could defeat Saturnin. It was impossible. Saturnin was feared for a reason. True, Zane considered himself to be a giant leap ahead of Saturnin when it came to smarts, but his brains would be of little help if Saturnin decapitated him. Then there was Jareth. His power was growing in alarming proportions. Was that mortal girl really the source of his strength? Had they underestimated her?

Well, one thing was for certain. Though it was known that Jareth was teaching her magic, she was no real threat herself. She was not born of the Underground. It would take years for her to truly master the art of magic. It may even take years that she doesn't have. Human life was so limited. Their life spans stretched eighty years at least. There was a great deal that she had to do before she could even get her magic to assume a shape. No. Surely she would fall short. Her prime would fade and she would be unable to master her power. When that happened, she would wither and die. Why was Jareth so fond of her again? He would outlive her easily. It was pointless and pathetic.

Still, he had issues besides that of Jareth and his lover. Chaos would ready to reveal his plan soon. Only he, Zane, the cleverest and smartest of all the Agents, had seen it coming. He had watched Chaos's movements and learned the truth behind everything, the very reason why he chose them all as the Agents of Chaos . . .

Within the confines of his brain, an idea popped unexpectedly into his mind. Perhaps . . . things wouldn't have to go as Chaos hoped. Maybe there was something else he would do to stop Chaos's plan. He would have to do some quick talking, and make it as convincing as possible. It would be tricky trying to make Chaos do as he wanted. It would probably be clear that he was only trying to save his own neck. But maybe . . . just maybe . . . he could avoid what as coming. If he didn't he'd be in for some trouble that he didn't want. He would be thrust into a battle that nobody could win. A battle that would result in death for the loser and for the winner . . . a fate that was even worse.

Zane got up and started to prepare to visit Chaos. He would have to choose his words carefully when he got there. But it would be worth the risk. In truth, Zane was just too fond of himself and was unwilling to throw it all away just yet. But if his plan worked, then he could stay around and still be of use.

And he would be the greatest of the Agents of Chaos.

**Ying-Fa: I'm sorry! I know this is late, but I have been on vacation, away from my precious computer for a long time. Then I finally get back and all I have to do is WORK! I'm sorry for the wait, I really am. The time is near, my friends. What is Chaos planning? What is Zane's true motive? These answers are coming up, as well as the end of the story. Only three chapters left. Please continue to read and leave those beautiful reviews.**


	11. The Plan Unravels

A deep, unbroken silence was all that could be heard within the Castle of the Desert Goddess. This hot, musky temple to the deity of the Summer Region was where the final and most feared Agent of Chaos dwelt. Saturnin was now in the very center of the castle and sitting cross-legged in front of an enormous effigy of the Sand Goddess herself. There was a hole in the ceiling of the room, through which desert sunlight beat down upon the back of the Agent. In a circle around him were numerous candles of incense, their columns of smoke twisting upward in homage to the deity.

Saturnin leaned forward until his forehead touched the dusty floor, his long white hair falling in a curtain around him, with his arms outstretched and palms raised outward. He stayed that way, still as the statue he knelt before and began to murmur in the language of the Wilder Elves.

"O Kasmira, Queen of the Eternal Sands, lend me thy strength and cleanse these hands of the stain of blood."

Saturnin felt the heat of the light above him start to burn the pale skin on his back, but he only welcomed the discomfort. Repentance was not supposed to be a pleasant thing. Very slowly and deliberately, Saturnin lifted his hands and leaned forward until they were immersed in the incense smoke.

"Let this offering cleanse my hands and permit me to wield my lance once again."

For hours he sat in the excruciatingly uncomfortable position with his hands dangerously close to the burning herbs. He did not move at all during that time so that it almost looked like he wasn't even breathing. Finally, as the sun began to sink and the heat on his back was relieved did Saturnin lift his head. The incense had smoldered and burnt out by now, leaving a misty haze around the chamber.

Very slowly and without uncurling his spin, he slipped his legs out from beneath him and straightened up into his was completely on his feet. Then he slowly rolled his body upward, hearing his bones crack with relief. He glanced down at his hands. He couldn't see anything different about them. He stepped out of the circle and picked up his lance that had been lying on the floor outside the circle where he'd been praying.

Saturnin ran his hands over the strong wood, relishing in the familiar touch of his oldest friend and alley, his great weapon. He then spun it expertly in deadly waves, rammed the point into the ground, lifted himself on the other end as if he was pole-vaulting, then fell gracefully on the other side and slammed the lance into the floor. There was a loud SMACK as the wood made contact with the stone floor and it echoed through the empty chamber.

Satisfied, Saturnin tucked the lance under his arm as he clasped his hands together and bowed to the statue. "My repentance is complete and Kasmira has allowed me to wield my weapon once more. The deed is done. Rest in peace . . . Kieran."

His prayers complete, Saturnin left the chamber of the Goddess and entered into his throne room. The whole place was built with sandy stone, including the throne which was embedded with bright sapphires. The only real decoration were the many stone serpents (who were the servants of Kasmira) that lined the walls to form a kind of menacing path up to the platform where the throne sat overlooking the long hall.

Saturnin sat down casually in the throne in a manner not unlike his former comrade, Jareth. He perched his head upon his fist and breathed deeply. The windows of the hall had no glass, so the chilly night air blew in freely not disturbing the many torches that cast dim light around the hall.

This was to be expected. Wilder Elves did not like walls and doors and any form of isolation. They loved the feelings of freedom. The rush of wind, the freshness of the air, the glory of the outdoors was all a Wilder Elf needed to be content. Even though he was bound to Chaos, Saturnin never forgot the joys of freedom and tried as best he could to incorporate it into his daily life as an Agent of Chaos.

But since there was no door, all that alerted Saturnin to the fact that he had a guest was the sudden sound of footsteps on the stone floor. Saturnin did not look up to see who it was. Instead he closed his eyes and listened carefully to the pace of the footsteps, the force in the footfalls, and the rhythm of the visitor's movements. He could tell from the pattern who it was that was visiting him.

"You return, Zane," he stated, without looking up.

Zane let out a dry laugh. "How did you know it was me?"

"I memorized the sounds of your footsteps long ago," Saturnin said shortly.

"They could have been imitated," Zane pointed out.

Saturnin looked up and stared at Zane seriously with his orange eyes. "I would know the difference. You should be grateful. If I thought you were an imposter I would have killed you before you were even three steps into this hall."

"True, true," said Zane, smiling toothily. "What have you been up to, friend? Still praying to your Sand Goddess?"

Saturnin scowled and did not reply. Zane's grin widened. "You know it ticks off Chaos when you do that," Zane warned playfully. "You should be loyal to him and him alone. You don't need Kasmoira or Kashiba or whatever her name . . ."

"Lord Chaos has my body, mind, and soul to do his bidding," said Saturnin, darkly. "Yet it is Kasmira who cleanses these things so I can better serve him. He cares not what I do as long as I do my duty as his Agent."

"Sorry, sorry," said Zane. "Well, I dropped in to give you a little heads up. We need some kind of plan of action, you and I."

"By which you mean?"

"Jareth," Zane said. "He's been slaughtering Agents left, right, and center ever since he pulled himself together. He's been picking us off! First there was Quintus, then Ruther and Vahrley, and then he turned Kieran to his side, making us kill him. Now he's coming for us. Me first then you and then he'll go for Chaos himself!"

"How are you so certain of this?" Saturnin asked. "And why you before me?"

"Because of all of us, I'm the smartest but you're the strongest," Zane explained. "Jareth always had a knack for putting brawn before brains. He sees you as the toughest and he'll save you for last. I've run this same plan through with Chaos and he agrees with me. Something must be done about Jareth before he goes out of control and ruins everything we've been working to build."

"I have no hatred for Jareth, only pity," said Saturnin. "He was a good and faithful Agent, until he was warped and twisted by that mortal girl. I have no wish to see him destroyed. Such a thing would make a martyr of him and he will have left his mark upon the Underground. That cannot be helped."

"No," said Zane, lightly. "You're right. But we do stand a chance. Come to the Black Mountain with me, Saturnin, where we shall await Jareth."

"Why would Jareth storm the Mountain?"

"Oh, various reasons," said Zane, slyly. "I've thought up a pretty ingenious plan, Saturnin and, if it works, Jareth will receive his just rewards."

Saturnin sat upright and stared suspiciously at his fellow Agent. "What kind of plan?"

"A little of this, a little of that," said Zane. "Come, come, Chaos has summoned you as well."

Saturnin wasn't fond of Zane and his confounded ideas, but he couldn't ignore a direct call from Chaos himself. He stood from his throne and left the Castle alongside Zane. Truth be told, Saturnin had been wondering about Jareth's actions for some time now. Did he really think that he could defeat all of the Agents and Chaos all on his own power? He'd known Jareth for too many years to list and Saturnin knew that Jareth was no that stupid.

Together, the final two Agents traveled to the Castle of their Master, Chaos. He was waiting in the throne room for them. His red robe was hanging loosely off his body and he was slumped in his throne, with his head resting on his shoulder.

"You've come," said Chaos, his voice as strong and terrible as ever it was. "Now, let us wait here, my Agents. Your brother, Jareth, will be joining us shortly."

"And what will happen when he arrives, Master?" Saturnin asked.

"What will happen?" Chaos repeated, staring hard at Saturnin. "Then, then we shall discover what it was that I called you to my side for. You will learn the truth behind the Agents of Chaos."

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

A goblin messenger hurried into the main chamber in the Castle Beyond the Goblin City. "It's happened, Your Highness! It's just like the spy told us! Chaos has called Saturnin and Zane into the Castle Within the Black Mountain."

"I see," said Jareth, thoughtfully. "So, it's now or never. If we're going to defeat the remaining two Agents and get Chaos while he's defenseless, it's now."

"Are ya sure about this?" asked Hoggle. "Ya wanna go stormin' into Chaos's Castle like this?"

"If I can manage to defeat Zane and Saturnin, I'll have the upper hand," said Jareth. "There are no other guards or servants in the Black Mountain. Chaos relies on the fear that he spreads to others to keep them away from his Castle."

"Jareth," said Sarah.

Jareth turned to her. She'd been quiet most of the day and was now looking at him with worry. "Are . . . are you sure about this? Once you go into that Castle, there's no turning back. I still haven't gotten the hang of magic and . . ."

"You will be fine, Sarah," said Jareth, reaching over and stroking her face. "All you have to do is keep up the barriers, like we discussed."

"I'm still having trouble believing you're letting her go, Jareth," said Agaea, who was also there. "You're so protective of her. It's sweet, don't get me wrong, but is she really ready for this?"

"She must be," said Jareth. "I will only be more worried about her if I leave her behind. Besides, she proved herself more than capable in the Castle Beneath the Frozen Lake. She can keep up the magic barriers. I have every confidence in her." He beamed at her with this last comment, making her smile at him with mock shyness.

"Keep it up and I'm gonna hurl," groaned Hoggle. "Well, alrighty then. Who's comin' again?"

"I am, gentle sir!" piped up Sir Didymus. "I missed the last battle and I shant miss this one."

"Yeah," growled Ludo. "Ludo go too!"

"We're a-comin'!" yelled most of the Goblin Guard.

"I'll stay behind," said Agaea, gently. "I'm not a fighter and someone needs to make sure the Labyrinth remains safe."

"Then, let us be off," said Jareth. "Sarah, go below into the city and wait for me there. We shall leave immediately when I get there."

"What are you going to do?" Sarah asked.

"I just need a private word with Agaea," said Jareth. "Just some things she needs to know about running the Labyrinth."

"Alright," said Sarah. "Come on, everybody. It's time to go." And she ushered the rest of the goblins and her three friends down the stairs.

"What is it, Jareth?" Agaea asked when they were alone.

"Something disturbing has come to my attention about you, Agaea," Jareth said, darkly.

Agaea smiled. "I see. This has nothing to do with the Labyrinth does it?"

"No," said Jareth. "Agaea, you realize the risk I'm taking, don't you? In a few hours time, everything will change and nothing will be the same as it once was. I've taught Sarah enough magic to keep her safe through this venture, but if something happens to me, she might be defenseless."

"So you would have to rely on me to help her if the situation gets sticky?" Agaea asked, politely.

"Yes," said Jareth. "And I want to know that that decision is not a mistake. You are the only other Fae on our side and I want to know that I can trust you fully."

"Have I done something untrustworthy?" Agaea asked.

"Not yet," said Jareth. "I've just noticed several things, Agaea. A sprite who has lived in the Aboveground for who knows how long and having such knowledge of Chaos? Forgive me but it's a little . . . suspicious."

Agaea did not reply. For the first time, her smile was gone and her eyes were cast low.

"Agaea, Sarah sees you as a friend and I regret going over this," said Jareth hotly. "But if you know anything about Chaos . . . if you have _anything_ to do with the Chosen Amata . . ."

"There's nothing I can do about it, Jareth," said Agaea, flatly. "My knowledge does not exceed your own. Now, your faithful minions are waiting for you. Go and lead them off on your journey of vengeance."

"The Labyrinth can handle itself," said Jareth. "Why do you refuse to come with us if you know nothing of . . ."

"Because I am a coward," Agaea snapped. "I didn't just move to the Aboveground for pleasure and profit, you know! I _fled_ there! I cannot possibly accompany you to the Castle Within the Black Mountain. Just the thought of that place makes me quiver in a terror that I cannot speak of. You can find no help from a coward like me except to keep the castle warm for when you return."

Jareth glared at her. "This is your final decision?"

"It is my only decision," said Agaea. "Go and lead Sarah into your little trap. I only hope you don't end up breaking her heart worse than you did before."

Jareth nodded and turned to leave. "I hope so as well."

As Jareth left, Agaea sat down in his throne and rubbed her temple with the tips of her fingers. She liked Sarah and Jareth a great deal. They had been wonderfully kind to her and, despite his suspicions, Jareth had kept her secret. As much as she liked them, she couldn't possibly aid in their movements against Chaos. It was beyond her power, even her power as a creature of the Underground.

_But_, Agaea thought fearfully. _If this truly as I suspect it to be . . . if Chaos really is using the Agents for that . . . it would be terrible . . ._

Agaea was all alone in the Castle when the mirror on the wall shone brightly and Carl's terrified face popped up in the reflective glass.

"Agaea! Agaea! Where's everybody else? Listen, I've found out something really, really important. You've got to stop Jareth from killing the Agents right away!

"Chaos is . . .!"

**Ying-Fa: Greetings! A thousand pardons for the terribly long wait. Life has caught up to me in many cruel ways. That is no excuse, but it's the only one I've got. I just wanted you to know I have not forgotten this story. Please review and I will do my best never to take so long again.**


	12. The Truth of the Agents

**Ying-Fa: I'll admit. I even scared MYSELF with this one. *sigh* Please be gentle.**

The Castle Within the Black Mountain was just as vast and ominous as Jareth remembered. He felt sick with hate just by looking at it. The mountain with its sharp exterior and twin peaks make it look like the head of a gigantic, horned monster ready to devour any who dared entered its gaping mouth, which was the entrance.

"I don't like it here," Hoggle grumbled, rubbing his arms with his hands. "We shouldn't be here. This is not good."

"Be of stout heart, Sir Hoggle," said Sir Didymus. "With this one fell swoop, the enemy shall be destroyed!"

"Ludo scared," growled Ludo, staring up at the mountain anxiously.

"The same goes for you, Brother," Didymus said sharply to Ludo.

Jareth would have told the creatures off for being so loud, but he was nearly deaf to them. There was an eerie feeling within him that he couldn't settle. Something was telling him not to enter that Castle. Something in him was telling him to run. But he would do no such thing. He was not such a coward.

"Jareth?"

Sarah's soft voice came to his attention, breaking him out of his dark thoughts. Sarah was by his side and looking at him with concern. He couldn't help but smile at her. Ever since they'd come here to the Underground, she'd stayed by him always. He loved her for that. He could tell by the look in her green eyes that she was just as nervous as her three friends and most of the goblins they'd brought with them. Still, he knew that she would be beside him.

"Jareth, are you sure you want to do this now?" Sarah asked. "There's Chaos and two other Agents in there. Do you really think we're ready for something like this?"

"This isn't something that can wait," said Jareth, heavily. "It's now or never. I started this battle and I want to end it tonight. Catching them now is our only chance."

"Are you sure that . . . I can be of much help?" Sarah said, looking downward. "My magic still isn't very good. I haven't even gotten it to take shape yet and . . ."

"Sarah, I've told you all that you have to do," said Jareth. "You can do this. You are the bravest of women, Sarah. You are my wife and confidant and I wouldn't entrust this to anyone but you."

Sarah sighed. "Yeah, but even still . . . what? Wait! D-did you just call me . . .?"

"It is how I feel," said Jareth, looking into her eyes and grinning slyly. "Now, let's not waste another moment. Let's go."

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Chaos emerged from his small pool once again, but he found it had not done what it normally did. He did not feel nearly as rejuvenated as he normally did when he rose from out of its waters. This was a sure sign. The time had finally come and he had to make his decision now. He knew full well that Jareth and a band of his foul little minions were storming his castle at this very minute, but he would let them in. He would welcome his fallen Agent as he always had.

_I have made my choice,_ he thought. _The powers of the pool will no longer grant me my full power. I cannot afford to waste anymore time. The time is now._

Zane came into the chamber at that time and threw a red robe over his master's shoulders. "M'lord," he said, smoothly. "Jareth's band has infiltrated the castle, just as you predicted."

"Very good," said Chaos. "We shall welcome our old friend, shall we not? Lure him to the throne room."

"Saturnin is already stationed in there," said Zane. "So, does this mean you've taken my advice into account?"

"Naturally I have," said Chaos. "You are my most clever Agent, Zane, and I would expect nothing but the soundest advice from you. I have never disliked that about you, not at all. It's one of the reasons that I chose you for an Agent of Chaos."

"That's right," said Zane. "But not the _only_ reason, right?"

Chaos rose from where he stood moved out of the chamber without answering Zane's question. "I must head for the throne room. It is time I spoke with Jareth once more."

Zane watched his master go, his usual grin no longer upon his face. "There's a great reason that you picked all of us," he said, more to himself than to anyone else. "The fact that I'm clever was just an added bonus. That's probably the one thing that you've disliked about me the most."

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

The sound of Jareth's footfalls on the stone floor echoed through the dimly lit throne room. He was standing by himself in the deserted room, his eyes scanning every last dark corner, looking for whatever horrors that Chaos had planned for him. He wasn't surprised that Chaos had let them enter the castle with no problem. It wasn't getting inside the castle that was the problem. Getting out was the hard part. But Jareth wasn't afraid. With luck, there would be nothing stopping him from leaving. He would have dealt with Chaos and everything associated with him.

After a moment, the faintest of sounds reached his ears. Jareth summoned a crystal and turned it into his sword again and held it ready. Then, he saw something white slithering through the shadows, fast as the wind. The figure sprang out and landed cat-like in front of Jareth, slamming a staff into the ground with a loud CRACK! Jareth smiled.

"You always like an entrance, don't you Saturnin?" he said, smirking.

Saturnin drew himself up to full height and stared Jareth in the eye. "You should not have come here," he said. "This, the home of our master, is sacred ground. You cannot defile it without suffering for your disrespect."

"Stubborn as ever," said Jareth, flexing his wrist which held his sword. "You never change, Saturnin."

"No, I do not," said Saturnin, softly. "Chaos has granted us much. I cannot disobey him, lest I suffer as you shall suffer."

"Is that a threat?" Jareth asked, darkly.

"You could call it that," said Saturnin.

"I did hope you would see reason in what I am doing," said Jareth. "You are a faithful and honest person, Saturnin. You do not deserve to be the lapdog of Chaos. Will you not see the good in what it is that I'm trying to accomplish?"

"I cannot see good or bad," said Saturnin. "I cannot tell what is right and what is wrong, because it is beyond that which I can see. I am not a judge, Jareth. I am just an executioner."

Jareth snorted. "Fine," he said shortly. There was no point beating around the bush now. He raised his sword in one hand, and with the other then threw three crystals over at Saturnin.

Faster than blinking, Saturnin waved his staff and smashed all three of the crystals into dust. Jareth took the second of distraction to charge at the Wilder elf, but Saturnin was expecting him. Their weapons clashed with such violent force that the two flew backwards, away from each other. Saturnin twirled his staff with rapid speed, charging at Jareth. The Goblin King guarded and ducked, trying to hit any part of Saturnin he could reach. Saturnin moved gracefully out of the way and carried on with his attack.

"Enough."

The soft, evil voice of Chaos brought the two Agents to a halt. Jareth turned to see his former master had entered the room, Zane by his side. Upon taking in his appearance, Jareth could tell something was wrong. Chaos did not appear to be his powerful self. His head was low so that his long black mane fell into his eyes and he seemed to be leaning slightly on Zane's arm.

"Jareth," Chaos hissed. "Why have you come? Why are you attacking my Agents?"

"I am putting an end to this tirade once and for all," said Jareth, shortly.

"Are you now?" said Chaos, darkly. "Saturnin, come here. You are done."

The Wilder elf leap into the air and landed, cat-like, at his master's other side. He then stood tall and all three of them stared down at Jareth. Chaos lifted his arm, his long black fingernails standing out noticeably against his stark white skin. There was a pause, where everything in the room stood still.

"Ah," Chaos breathed, breaking the tense silence. "It seems I cannot perform a spell against you. You have set up a Barrier of Spells, have you? But who is it that is controlling it for you? A meager goblin cannot perform that kind of magic."

Chaos waved his arm and the room changed. The walls, once black and opaque, had suddenly become transparent as glass. Behind the massive wall leading out of the throne room knelt Sarah. She had her hands pressed up against what appeared to be a large bubble that surrounded the entire throne room.

"Your precious mortal girl has acquired some meager skills in magic, has she?" Chaos asked. "Yes, I can feel her power working to keep the Barrier in place. But her skills are weak. She cannot protect you from everything."

"She can protect me from anything that you try to do to me," said Jareth. "Any spell you cast to try and do me harm will be prevented by the Barrier."

"I know this," said Chaos, patiently. "You think I am not well-versed in the magic that serves as my enemy? But, as I said, it cannot protect you from _everything_."

"It is enough," said Jareth, raising his sword and preparing to attack.

"Not yet," said Chaos, raising a hand to stop him. "First, Jareth, you must know something very vital. Something that I have neglected to tell you, or any of my Agents, until now."

"And what might that be?" said Jareth, harshly.

"Have you never wondered why I chose you?" Chaos said. "Why I bothered to take you as my obedient slave and lend you my power? Why you, above all else in the Underground, were selected?"

Jareth did not reply.

"It was because you and the rest of my Agents had the power to become as great as I," said Chaos. "I knew, one day, that my Agents would have perfected the arts that I have taught you. I chose you because you could become greater and far more terrible than I am or shall be. And you, Jareth, of all my Agents, have achieved this the most. You have killed, not one, but three of the Agents and even lead poor deluded Kieran into taking pity on you."

Jareth stared uncertainly at Chaos, unsure of where this was going. The last thing he had expected when he came to this forsaken place was to be praised. He didn't drop his guard. He had to keep his task in mind and not let Chaos cloud him.

"When I first realized that I could not carry the weight of the world on my own," Chaos whispered reminiscently. "I knew I could only chose the finest and fittest warriors for my Agents. Only those whose power and hatred were as everlasting as I. Now the deed is done. When the proper time came, I would pit them against one another and see who would be the one most worthy of the prize I promised them. The power to take my place as ruler of all things evil in the Underground.

"But things went differently then I had planned. You turned against me. You gave your loyalty to another. None of my precautions could bring you back. You broke my every barrier. That has led me to a conclusion, Jareth. That you are the one that I have been searching for all these years. You are the most worthy to become Chaos."

"I have no desire to do so," said Jareth, darkly. "I no longer follow your ways. I have come to loathe everything about you and I shall fight against you forever if that is what it takes to rid the Underground of your shadow!"

"But you do not have a choice," said Chaos. He slid off Zane's arm and started walking slowly toward Jareth. "The power will be given to you whether you like it or not. It could not have turned out better, really. Your betrayal turned out to be quite a blessing, Jareth. A blessing that I had not foreseen."

"I do not understand!" Jareth snapped. His heart was beginning to race. He didn't know what was going on. Chaos didn't sound like himself, not was he acting like it. Something was wrong here. Something very dark was taking place and he wouldn't let it affect him or Sarah. Sarah's three friends and the rest of the goblins were all stationed around the hall, waiting to barge in and attack if needed. But Zane and Saturnin were not moving. Indeed, Saturnin looked just as lost as Jareth felt. Zane, however, was smirking.

"You have provided me an opportunity I had not expected," said Chaos. "Faithful Zane, however, did inform me of the solution to my problem. Ever since you managed to become yourself again, I have been wondering what might be the best way to punish you for your treachery. But now I know the answer. You can be punished and still be useful. Your punishment will serve as the greatest service you have ever granted me, even at the height of your loyalty. You shall serve the purpose that you were always meant to.

"Now for your punishment, you shall serve me . . . for eternity."

Chaos inhaled sharply, his breath was wheezy and sounded like a death rattle. Jareth could feel his whole being freeze with something that was neither cold nor fear. The sound of Chaos's breath was forcing him to stay as he was. His soul no longer seemed to have control over himself.

"Jareth!" Sarah cried from behind the Barrier.

"Stay where you are Sarah!" Jareth yelled, though he could not feel his mouth speaking for him.

"_**Yes, girl**_," said Chaos's voice for somewhere, for his mouth was still inhaling with that terrible rattling sound. "_**Watch, girl. Watch as I take back what is mine. Watch as the one you care for the most become's mine forever!**_"

Something was leaving Chaos's body. Something dark and smoky was leaking from his gaping mouth, his dark eyes, his ears, his fingertips. The blackness flowed outward, reaching at Jareth. Had an idea of what was going on, of what was about to happen to him, but had no possible means to stop it.

The inky shadow spread outward from Chaos and started flowing around Jareth, spinning around him like a smoky cocoon. Sarah and the remaining two Agents of Chaos could only watch, dumbfounded at what was going on. All the while the black smoke was leaving him, something was happening to Chaos's body. It seemed to be shriveling up, the skin first wrinkling rapidly and then cracking like broken clay. When all the smoke seemed to depart him, Chaos's body crumpled to dust on the ground so that there was nothing left but his crimson cloak on the floor.

But the dark cocoon that surrounded Jareth did not disappear, it spun around and around, resembling a tornado, but it was a perfect column. Then, the column started flowing into itself, spinning faster and faster. Finally, it dissipated and Jareth reappeared, his head bowed and his arms dangling at his sides.

Sarah sat where she was, stunned by what she'd seen. Her concentration on the Barrier broke and the enter spell splintered, leaving her and everyone else they'd brought vulnerable. But Sarah didn't care. Her soul concern was Jareth and what that horrifying spell had done to him.

"Jareth!" she called to him. "Jareth! Are you alright?"

Jareth didn't answer. He didn't even raise his head.

"Jareth! Jareth, answer me!"

Zane smirked and stepped toward Jareth, away from Saturnin who was staring at Jareth with a kind of unspeakable horror. Zane approached Jareth, bent his head to look in his eye, and his smirk broadened into a grin.

"Comfortable in there, are we?" he asked, cheerfully.

After a moment, a voice replied, "_**Yeeessss**_," but it was not Jareth's voice.

Sarah stared at him, her body filled with sheer terror. "J-Jareth?" she asked, timidly.

"_**No . . . longer . . . here**_," the voice spoke again. Jareth lifted his head so they could see his face again. Thought most of the features remained the same, he was horribly different. His skin was blue like a corpse, with black veins popping out from purplish lips and wide, completely black eyes.

"_**Yeeessss**_," the voice said again, Jareth's mouth moving in time with it. "_**This will . . . do nicely . . . . My new . . . body.**_"


	13. The New Goal

"Wh-what?"

Sarah stared at Jareth, or rather what _had_ been Jareth. Though his shape was practically the same, everything was different. Those cold black eyes, no longer mismatched, regarded her cruelly and Sarah couldn't see Jareth at all in them.

"_**Jareth . . . is gone**_," said Chaos's voice from within Jareth. His words were coming out strangely. His voice wasn't used to coming out from this mouth. "_**He … has fulfilled … the true … purpose … of the Agents**_."

"This is outrageous!" roared Saturnin, who had been standing in shocked silence for some time, but had finally come to his senses. His pale, scarred face was a mask of disgust and alarm. "What do you mean "the true purpose of the Agents"? This is nothing that …"

"Oh, shut up!" snapped Zane. "I knew you wouldn't have figured it out, Saturnin! Only a truly smart person could have seen that this was the plan from the beginning. You weren't looking for followers, you were looking for _surrogates!_"

"S-Surrogates?" Sarah stammered, trying to take this all in.

"_**Yes … Zane**_," Chaos wheezed. "_**The Agents … were chosen … to carry on … my legacy … in the form of … becoming me. I did … my work carefully … never … entrusting the secret … to any. When the … time came … for me to … choose a new form … I would … have a handful … of loyal Agents … who would succumb willingly.**_"

"You see, my deluded friend," said Zane, still talking to Saturnin. "The original plan was, when the time came for his Lordship to choose a new form, he would pit the Agents against one another. We would have all killed each other until only one remained. But thanks to Jareth's turning traitor, the process was simplified. Jareth proved himself more than strong when he killed Quintus, Vahrley, and Ruther, so he became the new Chaos. Also, His Lordship now has two spare Agents to continue to do his bidding."

"_**Yes … you have done well … Zane**_," said Chaos, his voice growing stronger by the second. "_**Now … I think I will … test this new power on … the very reason Jareth left us … in the first place.**_"

Chaos turned and faced Sarah. He twisted Jareth's face into a terrible smile and lifted his arm. There was a sudden crashing noise and Sarah felt an electric jolt push her backwards several paces. Chaos had destroyed Jareth's Barrier of Spells.

"_**Did you think you were better than me**_?" said Chaos, stalking towards her. "_**That you could … steal one of my Agents and get away with it?**_"

Sarah panicked and tried to summon magic. The thin mist returned again, but it just drifted lazily in front of her.

"_**Pathetic human Abovegrounder**_," said Chaos. "_**No pitiful magic of yours can help you now. Only one … born of the Underground could be powerful enough to stand … against me. Now, die.**_"

"NO!"

There was a pattering of small feet and a terrified cry as Chaos lifted his hand and a jet of black light shot straight toward Sarah. Sarah closed her eyes and ducked, bracing herself for when the spell hit her. But it never did. When Sarah dared to see what had happened, she felt her heart break.

"Hoggle! HOGGLE!"

The little dwarf was standing between her and Chaos, his arms outstretched protectively. For a second he simply stood there, completely still, but then he fell backward onto Sarah's lap.

"Hoggle! No, Hoggle, why?"

"_**Pitiful soul of the Labyrinth**_," growled Chaos. "_**I'll show you …**_"

"AAAAARRRGH! HOGGLE FRIEND!"

A loud roar echoed through the room and, in the next second, Zane was thrown clear across the room by Ludo. Zane yelled in surprise as he flew right at Saturnin and the two remaining Agents hit the wall with a loud SMACK! They then crumpled to the floor, groaning in pain.

Sir Didymus and the rest of the goblin army arrived at last. They surrounded Sarah and started brandishing their weapons and gibbering.

"Where's the fighten' at!"

"Hey! What's wrong with the King?"

"He looks funny."

"Aw, Ludo already beat down the other Agents."

"The dwarf doesn't look so good."

"Is the battle still on?"

Sarah took the moment to examine Hoggle. At first glance, he could have been dead, but she could hear and feel him breathing. But his mouth was lulling open and his eyes were just barely open too, but all she could see was the whites. Sarah didn't have a clue what to do to help him, or any of them for that matter.

Chaos pulled an annoyed face and raised his hand again. In an instant, ten of the goblins soldiers disintegrated. Literally. One moment they were there, and then next there was nothing but black scuff marks exactly where they'd been standing.

"No!" Sarah cried.

"_**Useless worms**_," growled Chaos. "_**You think you can raise arms against me? I, the mighty Chaos, who is your true master?**_"

"Chaos? I thought his name was Jareth?" said one goblin, clearly confused.

Sir Didymus did not jump into the fight but came over to Sarah's side. He grabbed her hand and put a completely clear glass bell in it.

"Didymus? Wh-what?" Sarah stammered, half blinded by tears.

"Ring it, Milady! It is His Majesty's will! Quickly!"

"But …"

There was a bright flash, and several more goblins vanished into nothingness. Sarah screamed again and rang the bell. Though small and made of glass, the bell chimed as loud and clear as a church bell. Then a light wind, warm and sweet-smelling, started to blow gently through the chamber. It grew faster and faster and encircled Sarah, her three friends, and the remaining goblins.

"_**This power**_," said Chaos quietly. "_**It … it cannot be …**_"

Then everything was a haze of color and rushing wind. As the wind died down, Sarah and the creatures of the Labyrinth were gone. Chaos glared at where they'd been sitting helplessly before him. His fists began to shake with a rage he had not felt in a very long time.

"_**She is back**_."

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Sarah! Oh my goodness, Sarah!"

Sarah blinked. She was back in the throne room of the Castle Beyond the Goblin City. Agaea was running towards them, followed closely by Carl.

"Sarah, what happened!" Agaea cried. All of the goblins answered for her, talking all at once so that only a few words could be heard in the jumble.

"Scary!"

"Gone!"

"Majesty!"

"Poof!"

"Goners!"

"Mother!"

"Bell!"

"Gong!"

"Poof again!"

"Jareth!" yelled Carl, over the noise. "Where's Jareth? Why didn't he come back with you?"

Sarah tried to tell them, but it was impossible. Her voice was caught in her throat. The horror she'd just witnessed, the catastrophe, Chaos's true intentions, they all came crashing down on her. Trying to put them into words was a power that was currently beyond her. After struggling with her voice for a moment, Sarah collapsed on the ground and began to cry.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Chaos was dying," said Carl, somberly. "I tried to warn Jareth before he left, but I was too late. That's why he needed an Agent to become his new body. Chaos could perform acts of evil, unnatural magic that nobody else thought possible, but even he couldn't prevent death forever. So … he needed to continue living in a different form, to keep his reign alive even when he was supposed to be dead."

Sarah rubbed her eyes of the last remaining remnants of tears. "We should have seen this coming," she said, darkly. "We should have known Chaos wouldn't let us into that Castle so easily."

Carl, Sarah, and Agaea were all that remained in the throne room now. The rest of the goblins had gone into the city to pack their things. They were evacuating the Labyrinth as soon as possible. Agaea had the idea to take shelter in Kieran's abandoned forest. They would be leaving there as soon as the goblins were packed up and they were able to move Hoggle. It seemed he was going to be alright. Chaos's spell had gone through Sarah's misty shield before it had struck Hoggle. Though the shield had stopped the spell from killing the dwarf, Hoggle probably wouldn't be waking up for a long time.

"Have you calmed down a little?" Agaea asked, kindly.

Sarah nodded. The tears had stopped anyway, but the pain was still there. It was like someone had taken a handful of her guts and left her with a giant hole in her body. It was unreal, not having Jareth by her side. She kept expecting him to tap on her shoulder, kept expecting to turn around see his clever grin, to ask her what she thought she was doing, leaving him behind in that dreadful place.

But there as no tap. The man she loved was not there. He was still in that terrible Castle Within the Black Mountain. He was …

"Now that he has made Jareth his new form, I'm sure he can use most of Jareth's spells as well," said Agaea. "We won't be able to use the Labyrinth anymore, or anything else that Jareth's magic controlled."

"It's … still hard to believe," said Carl, glancing downward. "I can't believe he's gone."

"You make it sound like he's dead," said Sarah, bitterly.

Carl bit his lip. "Well, Sar, if … if Chaos has taken over his body …"

"No!" Sarah yelled, standing up. "Jareth's not dead! I would know if he was dead! He's not! He's still in there."

"Sarah," said Carl. "You have to understand what Chaos has done! He's …"

"I was there, Carl, I _saw_ what happened," Sarah said with forced calm. "Jareth is still alive in him, Carl. I know it."

"Sarah, that's …"

"Actually, she might not be so wrong."

"Agaea?"

Agaea looked carefully between her two friends, her face expression was very calm. "The reason that Chaos's hold on Jareth broke was because Jareth let light into his heart. He had more to his life than just being an Agent. If he had possessed one of the other Agents, than yes, they would most likely have been completely destroyed. The darkness that is Chaos cannot destroy the light that Jareth has embraced. If my theory is correct, it will take a while before Chaos is able to take over Jareth completely."

"Okay," said Carl, clearly confused. "Well, then, what are you suggesting? That we look for a way to pull Chaos _out_ of Jareth? That'll be impossible!"

"Things aren't always what they seem in the Underground," said Sarah. "I'll find the way. Even if it takes me a thousand years, I'll find out how to set Jareth free. I won't give up until I help Jareth escape from Chaos … and defeat Chaos once and for all!"

Agaea sighed dreamily. "Somehow I knew you would say that."

"If you guys would come with me, I'd appreciate the help," Sarah admitted. "I can barely do this by myself. But if it's too dangerous for you …"

"This didn't work last time, either," said Carl. "We're going to help you in anyway we can."

"We will always help you," said Agaea.

Sarah thanked her friends. She didn't want to be alone on the road to defeat Chaos. Now that Jareth was no longer by her side, the whole burden fell onto her shoulders. Just like in her first journey into the Labyrinth she had to rely on her own knowledge and skill if she was to achieve her goal.

"Well, come on, feet."

**Ying-Fa: And now, for my worst cliffie yet. This is the END OF ****THE FALL OF CHAOS!**** I kid you not! I am deeply sorry friends. But fear not, this is not the end of the tale yet! The third and final story ****The Legend of Chaos**** will wrap everything up. Until then, I must say goodbye. I already have a couple other stories that I want to work on and I don't want to take on more than I can handle. Hopefully, I will see you all in the conclusion.**

**I feel so grateful! Thank you:**

**Ying and Yang twins, hazlgrnLizzy, pinkflora, lonely 27, Grogie13, Stacy Vorosco, Shadowxwolf, starxchanny, Momo Shiro-Chan, samuraistar, daughterofthe1king, tichtich2, Karmira, Echoe'sFolly, FelineNinja, Julianna Tala, northsealass, Kaitou Jareth, The Hatter, account no longer in use, Dragon Ashes, MyraValhallah, Aranamer, J Luc Pitard, FelineGrace and everyone who put this story or me to their Favorite/Alert lists. This has been Ying-Fa-Dono. Goodnight and good luck.**


End file.
